Breaking Down Patriarchy

On the finale episode of the podcast Amy is joined by her daughters-Lindsay, Lucy, and Sophie-who help reflect on and celebrate the history of this project, some of the most valuable lessons learned along the way, and how the knowledge gathered through this work echoes both forward and backward across generations.Thank you for sharing this journey with us, listeners. Please join us on YouTube (@breakingdownpatrarchy) where Breaking Down Patriarchy is continuing to grow.Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy

Amy is joined by Shirlee Draper of Cherish Families to hear her courageous account of leaving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a polygamous marriage, sharing personal stories, exploring the alarming similarities between the explicit patriarchy of the FLDS Church and the allegedly more egalitarian world beyond it, plus discussing the practical work we can all be doing to help while avoiding condescension.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyShirlee Draper is a former member of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints community. She holds an MA in Public Administration and is the Director of Operations for Cherish Families, a non-profit organization providing compassionate support to individuals and families from polygamous backgrounds.

Amy is joined by authors and educators Gloria and Bob Rees to discuss midrash --stories we write to interpret scripture and create meaning -- exploring the endless possibilities of imagination and the radical power that women hold to write our own midrash and change the spiritual landscape.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyGloria Gardner Rees has taught English in the US, China, India, and Nepal. Her studies include nutrition, gerontology and adult development. Currently, she is involved in interfaith, humanitarian, and environmental work. In addition to writing midrash, she is co-editing a collection of essays by Latter-day Saints titled Pillars of my Faith.Robert A. Rees is a scholar, poet, and humanitarian. He is the author of “Toward a Mormon Feminist Midrash: Mormon Women and the Imaginative Reading of Scripture,” Sunstone (2012) and “The Midrashic Imagination and the Book of Mormon,” Dialogue (Fall 2011). His most recent book is Imagining and Reimagining the Restoration (Kofford Books, 2025).

Amy joins the renowned writer Carol Lynn Pearson in her home for an illuminating and tender conversation about the life and struggles of a major figure in LDS feminism, her insights into queer people in the Church, the lingering ghost of polygamy, and what it takes to be an independent thinker inside a patriarchal institution.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyRenowned Mormon feminist, Carol Lynn Pearson, is an American poet, author, screenwriter, and playwright. She frequently addresses the topics of LGBT acceptance and the role of Latter-Day Saint women. She has written many important works, including Goodbye, I Love You, The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy, and most recently, The Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson – Mormon Author, Feminist, and Activist.

Amy is joined by author Naima Brown to discuss her newest novel, Mother Tongue, exploring the consequences of change, finding our authentic selves, motherhood, right-wing radicalization, and the importance of fiction in our fight against patriarchy.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyNaima Brown holds degrees in Middle Eastern Studies, Anthropology and Religious Studies. Her essays have appeared in Vogue Australia, the Guardian Australia, and more. She wrote, along with Melissa Doyle, the non-fiction book How to Age Against the Machine. She has spent over a decade working in news, current affairs and documentary - save for her brief stint in reality TV, which inspired her first novel, The Shot. She was born and raised in Northern California before living and working in Yemen and Afghanistan, and now lives in New South Wales with her husband and her dog. Her second novel, Mother Tongue, was published in March 2025.

Amy is joined by Dr. Keisha Blain to discuss her new book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights, shining a light on unsung heroines of activism and the critical importance of preserving history in our precarious political landscape.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyDr. Keisha Blain is an award-winning historian of the 20th century United States. She is a Professor of History and Africana Studies at Brown University, as well as one of the founding leaders of the African American Intellectual History Society, and she serves as the editor-in-chief of Global Black Thought, a journal of essays on Black ideas, theories, and intellectuals.Blain is the author of the books Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom, and Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America. And her most recent book, which we’ll be discussing today, is titled Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights and it was published just this September.

Amy is joined by publisher and sex educator Susan Bratton for a tell-all discussion about sex under patriarchy, the power of pleasure, and practical steps towards liberation in the bedroom.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchySusan Bratton is co-founder and CEO of two companies serving the direct-to-consumer intimate wellness space. She is a manufacturer of supplements and a publisher of online courses focused on having a great relationship your whole life long. Her expertise is in ageless sexuality, sexual biohacking, libido supplementation and sexual regenerative therapies that roll back the clock on aging. She is a sought-after speaker from the stage, has been on countless podcasts, radio shows, and television segments worldwide. Her weekly email newsletter has nearly a half a million readers. And she is beloved as the "trusted intimacy wellness expert to millions 💋."Susan believes that shame-free, frequent sexual pleasure is every man and woman’s birthright.

Amy is joined by Mary Catherine Starr, author of Mama Needs a Minute!, to discuss how even with the best intentions parents can easily fall into patriarchal and unequal gender roles, how to take a closer look at our relationships and households, and how comics can help us cope with the overwhelm of motherhood.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyMary Catherine Starr is a mother-of-two and a graphic designer, illustrator, yoga teacher, author, and the artist behind the viral Instagram account @momlife_comics. Mary Catherine's work focuses on the challenges of marriage, motherhood, double standards, and inequality in both the household and the workplace. She is passionate about speaking up for women and bringing awareness to the mental load and the invisible labor of motherhood. Her first book, a comic memoir entitled Mama Needs a Minute!, came out in March, 2025. Mary Catherine lives in Massachusetts with her husband, her children, and her son’s large collection of plastic dinosaurs.  Learn more about Mary Catherine Starr at marycatherinestarr.com.

Amy is joined by attorney and activist Saru Jayaraman of One Fair Wage to learn the eye-opening history of tipping culture, how the restaurant service industry is one of our nation's biggest propagators of patriarchy, and why it's time for consumers to say enough is enough.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchySaru Jayaraman is co-founder and president of One Fair Wage, a national organization of nearly 300,000 restaurant and service workers, nearly 1000 restaurant owners, and dozens of organizations nationwide, all working together to end the subminimum wages in the United States and raise wages and working conditions in the service sector. Saru is also the author of the books One Fair Wage, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining, and Behind the Kitchen Door.

Jenna Karvunidis, a writer, artist, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, created the gender reveal party but has since become a vocal critic of its implications. She shares her journey from a simple backyard cake reveal to a viral trend that often promotes patriarchal norms. Jenna discusses the dangers of extravagant reveals, including real-world disasters linked to them. She explores the broader social harms to LGBTQIA+ individuals and offers inclusive alternatives, advocating for raising awareness and fostering gender equality in parenting.