
Slate Gender and Society
A feed drawing from Slate’s podcast network, including The Waves and Outward, featuring episodes that take a critical eye to the world around us, how we define ourselves, and how gender itself is defined.
Latest episodes

May 22, 2024 • 42min
Outward: Behind the Scenes of ‘Gays Against Briggs’ with Christina Cauterucci
This week Christina Cauterucci returns to Outward to talk with Bryan about her experience making ‘Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs’ and diving into one of the most consequential civil rights battles in American history: the first-ever statewide vote on gay rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2024 • 51min
Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs - Ep. 1: A Hotbed of Homosexuality
In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom for the American right. With a moral panic sweeping across the United States, a Florida orange juice spokeswoman inspired an ambitious California politician to launch his own campaign against lesbians and gays—one that would change the course of U.S. history. (If you—or anyone you know—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad. Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 19, 2024 • 47min
Working: A Much-Needed History of Queer Women’s Spaces
This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to June Thomas about her new book A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture. In the interview, June explains what it was like to bring journalistic rigor to a world that’s close to her heart. She also discusses her pivot to full-time book writing, the importance of passing history to future generations, and her use of the phrase “queer women” to describe a group that goes well beyond that label. After the interview, Ronald and co-host Isaac Butler talk about culture and identity in their art. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June designs her ideal queer space. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron Drews.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16, 2024 • 42min
Care & Feeding: Why I’m Choosing Single Motherhood
On this episode: Jamilah sits down with author Ruby Russell to talk about her new book, Doing It All: The Social Power of Single Motherhood. They talk about the ways that single mothers upend the patriarchy — and why that’s a good thing.Lucy, Elizabeth, and Zak also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails — including an epic saga involving a hospital in the Philippines.Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.Podcast produced by Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16, 2024 • 29min
What Next: Why Miss USA is Imploding
When Miss USA abdicated her throne, people noticed that the first letters of each sentence of her resignation letter spell out “I am silenced.” Shortly thereafter, Miss Teen USA stepped down with a letter that opens with a quote from Nietzsche. What’s going on at the Miss USA organization? Has the idea of a national pageant outlived its usefulness?Guest: Constance Grady, senior Culture correspondent for Vox. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 10, 2024 • 33min
Dear Prudence: I’m Queer and Here—Just Not to My Parents. Help!
In this episode, Dan Savage (of the Savage Love sex advice column and Savage Lovecast) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to approach a serious relationship with someone who lets her pre-teens sleep in her bed, how to share with your parents you’re omnisexual, and how to tell your sibling you think they’re in an emotionally abusive marriage.If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2024 • 42min
Care & Feeding: Mom Guilt Is Real, but So Is Healing
On this episode: we present two very special segments celebrating the lifelong journey of being a mom. First up: Dr. Lindsay Cavanagh is back for mini therapy sessions with Jamilah, Lucy and Elizabeth — who each share a nagging guilt they have about being a mom (and a daughter). Then: Zak, our resident dad, sit down with Luisa, mother of our very own Lucy Lopez. The two talk about maternal instincts, growing up in Cuba, and having faith in the competence of your kids… and yourself. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.Podcast produced by Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 8, 2024 • 41min
Well, Now: Overcoming a Complicated Pregnancy
For many, pregnancy is a time of heightened and joyful anticipation. There are doctor’s appointments, tests, preparation…All with a focus on bringing home a healthy baby. The other side of pregnancy–the complications–is not readily discussed. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss all of these potential roadblocks with economist Emily Oster. In her latest book The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications, she arms patients with the data they need to advocate for themselves in their appointments.If you enjoyed this episode, check out: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER BillWell, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel, MD and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 2024 • 40min
How To!: Flirt With Confidence
When Allen’s gym crush asked him—point blank—if he liked someone, he panicked. Should he tell her? What should he do if she wasn’t actually flirting with him? On this episode of How To!: Courtney Martin finds out what happened and brings in Jeff Guenther, therapist and author of the new book Big Dating Energy. (You might know him as TherapyJeff from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.) Jeff gives Allen the tools to flirt more authentically, stick to his non-negotiables, and lean into his self-confidence. If you liked this episode check out: How To Ditch the Apps & Actually Find a DateDo you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson and Kevin Bendis. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 24, 2024 • 8min
AMICUS PREVIEW: Abortion Gaslighting is Back at SCOTUS
Listen to a preview of this urgent extra episode of Amicus. The full episode is available to our Slate Plus members. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.Wednesday morning, the court heard arguments in Moyle v. United States, the consolidated case tackling what levels of care pregnant patients can be provided in emergency rooms in states with draconian anti-abortion laws. And on Thursday morning, the High Court will hear Trump v. United States, the case in which the former president - who is currently spending much of his time slouched at the defendant’s table in New York City - will claim a kind of vast sweeping theory of immunity that roughly translates as - “when you’re president, they let you do it. You can do anything”. In an extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern dig into what happened in the EMTALA arguments Wednesday morning and then look ahead to Thursday’s arguments in the immunity case. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices