WEBVTT - The Limits of Rainbow Capitalism 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.560 Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:20.040 Meet Your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Brooklyn Bunker. Folks, 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:24.200 I'm really I don't know what the word is. It's 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:27.720 not excited, but I'm really proud of the compilation of 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:31.240 shows that we are putting together this Pride Month. As 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:34.440 I'm going to re state at the beginning of each 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:39.160 week in June, we are talking with leaders and activists 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:45.640 and thought leaders and Hollywood folks authors to get a 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:50.960 better picture of their thoughts around Pride, around where we 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:56.280 are with regard to progress for the LGBTQ community. And 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:01.440 the question that I'm asking is should we be going 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:05.880 back to our roots as a community that was born 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:12.160 out of resistance to violence, to struggle, to oppression, to 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:19.440 invisibilizing us altogether. I will say that I was so 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:24.000 fucking disgusted last week for a variety of reasons, as 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:27.919 I am with this country these days. But the Biden 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:35.360 administration decided to hold an event where they were going 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:42.080 to be honoring Nancy Reagan on a stamp, as you know, 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:45.240 one of the first ladies to get a stamp, and 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.520 who else was going to be at that event, but 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:53.400 was Louis Louis de Joy, you know, the Trump lackey 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:58.160 who took over the postal service, slowed it down so 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.560 that we wouldn't be able to mail in ballots for 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.880 the election. Who is Nancy Reagan? While she isn't just 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.960 you know, a former first Lady, she was also very 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:16.200 prominent in the war against the LGBTQ community. When AIDS 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:23.079 was our epidemic and not COVID, the Reagan administration allowed 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:29.560 for tens of thousands, if not more, queer people in 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.919 the United States to die and do nothing about it. 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:40.800 Wouldn't even utter the words AIDS. It was perceived, if 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:44.040 you remember, for those of you who are old enough 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:50.360 in the eighties to be God's excuse to how to 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:57.040 get rid of these sinful characters. Back in the eighties, 0:02:57.400 --> 0:03:04.200 before there were investments into various drugs to allow for 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:12.000 this diagnosis to not be a death sentence, so many 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:19.200 people died, died in the streets, died alone in hospital rooms, 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:23.640 with not even the kindness of caretakers. Because of how 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:31.120 the Reagan administration characterized gay people. It was your fault 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:38.960 that you got hivna's and your death was but a 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:43.280 scarlet letter on you and on those who loved you, 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:47.200 knew you, so forth and so on. So for me, 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:55.480 as a black queer woman, to see that this administration 0:03:55.640 --> 0:04:00.640 would think that during Pride Month that the would be 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:06.720 a right move to make once again signals how out 0:04:06.760 --> 0:04:14.120 of touch disconnected they are. Look, I'm not saying, hey, 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:18.640 don't provide first ladies with stamps, but I'm saying, let 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:23.640 it be known, not in the month for the community 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:34.440 with which that administration made a target harmed in irrevocable ways. 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:41.440 Thank God for science, thank God for medicine, thank God 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:47.720 for public pressure, and those like Ryan White who would 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:53.560 show that it wasn't just LGBTQ people that were getting 0:04:54.320 --> 0:05:00.520 hivna's right, that this was a epidemic of not just 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:04.240 one community, but what would become that of the entire 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:08.599 nation that the rank and administration could have stopped, but 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:16.120 they didn't. So for me, for them to decide to 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:20.800 honor this person in our month was a slap in 0:05:20.800 --> 0:05:25.560 the face. I am so tired too, And you will 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.840 hear me talk with different people throughout the week about 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:36.560 the commodification of Pride. These companies who don't who literally 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:41.960 will fund candidates who work against our best interests, fund 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:47.480 them behind our back, and then rainbow up their websites, 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.160 their products, their merchandise all through the month of May 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:58.960 to receive LGBTQ dollars, take our money by daylight, and 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.800 stab us in the back at night, the same way 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:09.960 that we are seeing places like Walmart degrade what Juneteenth 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:14.880 is too Black Americans. They're putting out ice cream in 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:20.240 bullshit T shirts. That's not what Juneteenth is. And while 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:24.760 I at one time appreciated the main streaming of Pride 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:29.480 because I felt like it was us being brought from 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:35.760 the margins into daylight, it was all just a ploy 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:40.480 for capitalism, because as soon as that month is over, 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:46.359 they go back to funding bad actors that look to 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:51.040 dehumanize us through their vicious policies on a regular basis. 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:58.440 Coming up today in our conversation and with our theme 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:04.480 Pride is a Riot, we chat again with b Pegel's minor, who, 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:11.080 if you remember, was the very outspoken former employee of 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:18.840 Netflix who is also black and transgender and organized helped 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:24.480 to organize the walkout with regard to Netflix's showing of 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:29.760 Dave Chappelle's comedy, and I use that term loosely special 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.760 where he attacked for what felt like an entire fucking hour, 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:40.360 the most marginalized community in this country, one that is 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:48.040 killed well beyond our normal rate of murder and forgotten 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:51.600 about thrown in trash cans. But he felt that, oh, 0:07:51.880 --> 0:07:53.840 this is the community that I'm going to make quote 0:07:53.880 --> 0:08:00.600 unquote jokes about. Well. As a Netflix employee who was 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.800 also one of the heads of their employee resource groups 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:09.880 that are dedicated to both black folks and queer people, B. 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:15.120 Pagel's Minor took it upon themselves to organize their employees. 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:21.960 Following that walk out, they were fired, and we have 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:25.640 seen since then that not much with Netflix has changed. 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:31.000 In fact, they have threatened their employees, telling them that 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.679 they will reap what they sew as it pertains to 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:40.800 quote unquote wokeness. So in this conversation coming up next 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:45.720 with B we will talk with them about what queer 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:50.760 employees still face. They have become a new parent during 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:54.400 this time, so we will also touch upon what it 0:08:54.480 --> 0:09:01.760 means to be a transparent and the safety of our 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:06.439 queer kids and children in general. That conversation with B. 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:11.400 Pagel's Minor, as we continue to celebrate pride here on 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:15.840 Woke f is coming up next. It's no secret that 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:19.200 the news is horsepill hard to swallow. Thankfully, there's The 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:23.960 Bituation Room podcast hosted by comedian and commentator Francesca Freer 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:26.640 and Tini for a lighter take on the heavy stuff. 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:30.520 Each week, The Bituation Room brings you progressive comedians, experts, 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.680 and activists to break down the issues in a way 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.440 that won't just leave you crying under a weighted blanket. 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:39.160 Get The Bituation Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:52.280 streaming on YouTube and Twitch. Indisputable with Doctor rashad Ricci 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:55.240 is one of the latest shows on the TYT Network 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.839 and also the fastest growing news show in America. On 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:03.080 his show, Doctor each plays no games regarding policy, delivering 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:06.360 a heavy dose of fact based truth and penetrating analysis 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:09.760 on all the top news stories focusing on racism, criminal 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:14.200 and social justice, politics, police brutality, Karens, and much more. 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:19.640 Listeners can also expect interviews with fascinating guests, political leaders, commentators, 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:23.240 and even fiery debates with conservatives on a wide range 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:27.400 of policy topics. In the Bullpen. It is an indisputable 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:30.760 fact that you will love this show. Listen to Indisputable 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:34.760 with Doctor rashad Ricci on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:37.360 you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:47.280 be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Folks, 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:51.120 I am very excited to welcome back to woke F Daily, 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:55.160 B Pagel's minor, who is an investor and startup advisor 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:59.480 and former Netflix employee. And if you remember, it was 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:03.080 rough Lee, I think about a year ago, B when 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:05.880 you joined us in woke F to talk about your 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:12.880 termination from Netflix following your organization of a walkout. And 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:16.400 this was associated with Dave Chappelle's I guess it was 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:21.559 at that time his latest comedy special where I found 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:25.679 nothing funny, but it was an entire special that seemed 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:30.320 to be directed at weaponizing comedy against the trans community. 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.439 And I didn't understand it. I didn't understand, you know, 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:39.160 his format, and I was a Dave Chappelle fan. You 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:44.720 organized at the time a workout because according to you 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:46.679 and the and the piece that you had written, your 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.959 opinion piece in Washington Post back in twenty twenty one, 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:55.400 there was no conversation with the trans e ERG. There 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:58.680 was no even even if folks had said, oh, we 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:02.520 just want things canceled. Then that couldn't happen because you know, capitalism, 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.040 there could have been, as you said in your Washington 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.320 Post piece, and opportunity to have conversation, to be in 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:13.360 community at least to have people be heard. Um, there 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:17.080 hasn't been much be that has happened at Netflix in 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:21.200 the positive from a year ago. I wanted to get 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:24.160 your thoughts on what you have heard, what you've read 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:30.040 and seen about their war against their quote unquote woke 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:36.400 employees and how that landed with you. Yeah, so, first 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:38.440 and foremost, thank you for having me back. You know, 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:40.640 it was a great conversation last time. And actually, what's 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:43.520 really crazy is it's only seven months, Like, oh my god, 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:46.679 it's it's such it's such a it's like it feels 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:48.360 like forever and our social more period of time ago. 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:51.280 And it's so interesting because you know, one of the 0:12:51.320 --> 0:12:54.440 things I definitely reflect on at this time is, you know, 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.320 one of the reasons I joined Netflix was because of 0:12:56.320 --> 0:13:00.480 this idea that you know, they welcome disagreement and discussion. 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:02.960 You know, the idea really being that you know, you 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.880 write a memo, you you know you have a point 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:09.360 of view, and you have a conversation with people to 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:12.760 create the best version of something. And so that's what 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:14.920 we were really asking then, and that's what employees are 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.600 asking now. Right. It's like, invite us into the conversation. 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.160 Why would you go out and seek to build the 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:23.000 best sports team? Right? So that's the Netflix metaphor, right. 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.720 It's not about family, it's not about you know, a 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:29.160 personal connection, It's about building the absolute best sports team. Well, 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:32.400 the thing is, Phil Jackson asked Kobe Bryant what his 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:35.280 opinion was on the best defense that they were playing, right, 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:39.240 you know, coaches asked their team to help them improve 0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:41.960 their team. And so what was happening in Netflix then? 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.920 You know, even actually before that that first Ruppel special, 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.560 when I first got there in March twenty twenty, we 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:51.959 were having conversations about content and how content can be 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.040 harmful and whether it was trans Star or if it 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.600 was Black At which are the two of the large 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:00.800 ARGs and Netflix, whether it was those arenizations just raising 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:02.720 their hand and saying, we want to be partners to 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:04.800 you because we feel like we can help you. Because 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:06.480 that was always a conversation. It was about let's be 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:08.320 partners and I think that's one of the things that 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:10.800 mainstream media really got this wrong, is that it was 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:15.360 kind of this like Netflix employees who don't understand capitalism 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:18.760 for instance, um you know who who are against the company. 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:20.800 And that's not what it was. It was let's work 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.760 together and create like an actual partnership because we think 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:26.360 we can make content that's great. I'm a trans person 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:28.920 who just had a baby. Every time I went to 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:32.080 my doctor's appointment and those other pregnant ladies saw me 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:34.320 come in, they gave you the like double taken from 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:36.960 the take. That is a comedy special right there. It's 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.960 just watching a trans person going too you know, an OBG. 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:45.640 Bryantan's office pregnant, right, like, we understood what comedy is. 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:47.840 Like we love to lad If you've ever been to, 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:52.120 you know, a gay club or a drag show one o'clock, 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:54.880 two o'clock in the morning, it's raunchier than Dave Chappelle 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.840 has ever even thought of. Right, So, if being offended 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.720 wasn't the whole conversation, it was about being partnership. And 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:04.920 to your point today, I'm I'm frankly not very surprised. 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:06.640 You know, some of the people who are in leadership 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.680 at Netflix. You know, it seems like they made a 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:11.920 concerted effort to push out a lot of those people 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:16.440 who were really like on the edge of of you know, 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:21.480 the company, who are talking about, you know, very difficult conversations, 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:24.200 trying to push them for trying to really develop them. 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:27.480 You know, one of the you know, C suite executives 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.520 is Rachel Lets them, whose husband is a very very 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:35.600 conservative human and you know, is a concerning human right. 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.520 And so it's not surprising that you have some certain 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:41.120 people who are in power who are moving Netflix further 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:45.600 and further away from that general idea of having difficult 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.960 conversations to create the best product. Right, So it's not 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:51.280 actually about being woke. And that's the thing that people 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.360 keep being wrong about. You don't become some of the 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.160 most talented people in the world who get recruited to 0:15:57.200 --> 0:15:58.800 work in one of the best companies in the world 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:03.520 by being right. You get those jobs by having critical conversations, 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:07.320 critical thinking, and literally being just really brilliant people. And 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:10.920 that's the thing that's being necessary. Yeah, I guess you 0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:16.240 know where I find there is in media and in 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:19.880 the reporting particularly around this, was a lack of nuance, right, 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:24.400 because it's so much better to say that all people 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.480 wanted was Dave Chappelle to be canceled, Right, That's the 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:30.720 easy way out. And what we often say, you know, 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:34.160 within the LGBT community, within the black community, is we're 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.560 not trying to cancel people, trying to like, have you 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.680 be conscious of what it is that you are delivering 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.520 and how it is landing on the communities that you 0:16:43.560 --> 0:16:49.600 are making the target or the headline of your content. Right, 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:52.280 it's it's how does it land and did you have 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.960 that consciousness ahead of time? And I think that, you know, 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:01.600 particularly around comedy, it becomes really trick. We've seen you know, 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:06.080 incidents over the over the last h couple of couple 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:10.479 of months really um where people have been assaulted. Um. 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:12.240 And I'm not even I'm not talking about the Will 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:15.240 Smith Chris Rockley. I'm talking about you know at the 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:19.439 comedy club, the guy rushing the rushing the stage. You know. 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:22.840 I just think that we are living in more violent times. 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.560 Frankly right where where they're they're just they're people need 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:30.000 to be aware that folks are really on edge. But 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:36.199 that to your point, what this isn't about cancel culture right, Like, 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:41.200 what do you think that the real there there is 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:45.800 that the lgbt Q plus community is asking for. And 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:49.119 this is just with outside of just Dave Chappelle just 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:51.399 using him as kind of you know, the intro in. 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:55.399 But when we come up and say X is a 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:58.119 problem or this is a problem, what do you believe 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.800 is at the core of it? Yeah, you know, I 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:03.680 want to bring up a recent example because this has 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:06.240 been something that like all of us have been talking 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:08.240 about because trying to figure out how we feel about it. So, 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:10.879 you know, Kendrick Lamar just released his new album and 0:18:10.920 --> 0:18:13.679 he has this song Antique Stories, right, and in the 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:17.760 song he says the F word, he missed genders and 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:20.439 dead names one of his relatives. And it was so 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:23.800 interesting because like on one end, I had my black relatives, 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:25.680 I had white folks. I had a whole bunch of 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:27.159 people come to me and being like, Okay, what's your 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:29.560 because like, first of all, this is like one of 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:33.200 the most famous, most respective rappers having a conversation about 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:37.040 LGBTQ plus people and it doesn't seem like it's being 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.920 done right. And to your point about nuance, the first 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:41.080 thing I said is I was like I would like 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.520 to know what his auntie and his cousin says about 0:18:44.320 --> 0:18:46.080 the song. I was like, did they say it was 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.560 okay for him to do that? Because the reality is, 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.480 that's what we're really coming to. There's a nuance of 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:55.119 what is the larger conversation, right, and then what is 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:59.640 a personal conversation between individuals. Right. So Kendrick Lamar could 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:04.399 have had complete, you know, authority and approval from his 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.280 family saying it's perfectly fine to miss gender man and 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:10.879 that's fine. But if he goes outside of that space 0:19:10.920 --> 0:19:13.600 and he and miss gender someone else or he dead 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:16.679 names someone else, that's not acceptable. Rights. That's really what 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.360 the conversation is. The conversation is whatever your personal feelings are, 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:23.480 that's a one to one relationship. When you're talking about 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:27.200 a larger whole community, you don't get to just make 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:31.199 assumptions and put certain qualities on that community and have 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.600 that community to say yes. I mean, it's just like 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:37.119 me being black. You know, if I were to have 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:40.639 taken into my heart the media representations with black people 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:43.920 in the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, I would think that 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.040 I'm supposed to be a gang member who's gonna shoot 0:19:46.080 --> 0:19:49.120 some random white lady on the side of the street, right, 0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:50.919 And I don't do that, Like, no one in my 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:54.080 family would even possibly contemplate that, right. And so it's 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:58.359 about this idea of let's have actual individual conversations with people, 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:00.880 learn who they are, so that we could be more 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.879 intelligent and more respectful of them. Right. And that is 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:06.360 that's whether it's LGBT plus, that's whether it's black, that's 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:09.119 whether it's Asian, that's whether you know, even if it 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:11.440 is a white lady who has more privileged than the 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.639 rest of us. Let's have individual conversations, because that's how 0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:18.520 we end up with legislation with folks saying that you know, uh, 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:22.240 you know, it's women can't have an emotion, right, even 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:25.840 though it's their right, it's their private conversation. The fact 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:27.760 is that it starts with us, but it goes to 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:31.480 every other community, right, Like, do not make assumptions about 0:20:31.480 --> 0:20:35.560 other people, have actual conversations, because if you do, chances 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:38.399 are you or learning that will really shock you. You know, 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:41.040 and even I think, you know, even I've said multiple 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:43.119 times when I talked, well, now, listen to Dame Chappelle 0:20:43.160 --> 0:20:45.320 especially talk about some of his investments and what he 0:20:45.359 --> 0:20:47.399 wants to do a community. He and I have exact 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:51.440 same opinions, like literally the same opinions, but he wouldn't 0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:55.080 know that because he hasn't decided to choose to acknowledge 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:57.480 the fact that I exist, that I'm a black LGBTQ 0:20:57.600 --> 0:21:00.520 plus person, because for him, there's only two worlds in 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:04.439 that world doesn't include me. You know, it's just so 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:06.719 wild because I'm listening to you and a couple of 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:10.320 things that's stood out, and one of which is that 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:15.239 this all comes down to the desire to recognize that 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:18.280 we all don't know everything, right, and so if I 0:21:18.320 --> 0:21:20.800 am really trying to be in community or I'm just 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:23.520 trying to grow as a human being, that comes with 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:27.800 the understanding that there is more information out there, So 0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:31.600 why would I lock myself off to that information? I 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:34.399 think about it in the context of, you know, the 0:21:34.640 --> 0:21:40.760 the pushback with the Republican Party and critical race theory, Right, 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:43.800 it's the desire not to want to know, right, not 0:21:43.840 --> 0:21:46.840 to want to know anything outside of what you've always 0:21:46.880 --> 0:21:51.520 been taught, And so it is it is wanting to 0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:54.560 exist inside of a bubble. For Dave Chappelle and others 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:57.199 to believe that the world is binary, to believe that 0:21:57.240 --> 0:21:59.400 everything has to be either this way or this way, 0:22:00.240 --> 0:22:03.200 and it's not right. And so if we don't if 0:22:03.240 --> 0:22:06.280 we don't educate in the way of recognizing that we 0:22:06.280 --> 0:22:08.960 are living in shades of gray, that everything is a 0:22:08.960 --> 0:22:12.800 lot more layered than a nuanced than is being presented, 0:22:13.040 --> 0:22:15.160 we don't grow. We're not going to grow as people, 0:22:15.200 --> 0:22:18.520 and we certainly are not going to grow as a society. Um, 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:23.480 you are a new parent. And when we spoke, which 0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:26.000 now I thought was seven years ago, b it was 0:22:26.080 --> 0:22:29.520 just seven months ago. Um, mobi spoke seven months ago, 0:22:29.920 --> 0:22:33.040 you were getting ready to give birth. So first I 0:22:33.080 --> 0:22:36.399 want to ask, how are you as a as a 0:22:36.560 --> 0:22:40.480 as a new parent, having a new human in your home? 0:22:40.520 --> 0:22:43.840 How is that going? Well? I was talking to my 0:22:43.880 --> 0:22:45.960 aunt's disity right now and I was telling him last night. 0:22:46.040 --> 0:22:47.359 I was like, well, I was like, it's like I'm 0:22:47.400 --> 0:22:49.640 really looking forward to twenties two, and she's like why. 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:50.760 I was like, I was like, I think that's when 0:22:50.760 --> 0:22:53.520 I'm asleep A little bit more correct, I was like, 0:22:53.560 --> 0:22:56.679 that feels like a really good, like target date period 0:22:56.720 --> 0:23:00.439 type situation. But no, it's great, like honestly, you know, 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:03.160 I am very tired, like there's like a lack of sleep, 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:05.880 but honestly, it's it's the forest over. Like I wasn't 0:23:05.920 --> 0:23:07.639 sure if I'm gonna be, like, like what kind of 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:09.000 parent I was going to be, But now I'm just 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:10.720 like I can just look at you for a few 0:23:10.720 --> 0:23:15.760 more hours. You know, it's so great, An, that's wonderful. 0:23:16.480 --> 0:23:20.879 And you know, as a new parent who is also queer, 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:26.040 and we are living in some of the most threatening 0:23:26.080 --> 0:23:28.760 times I think I have ever seen in modern in 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:33.399 modern times, um, with a tax coming not just on 0:23:33.520 --> 0:23:39.200 our community, but particularly queer kids, queer youth right um, 0:23:39.359 --> 0:23:42.200 who adults are supposed to protect and instead have turned 0:23:42.240 --> 0:23:47.359 into targets for their target practice of hate. What comes 0:23:47.480 --> 0:23:49.720 up for you? What are you feeling as you were 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:53.440 seeing these don't say gay bills and knowing that your 0:23:53.520 --> 0:23:57.600 child at some point will be going into school, right um, 0:23:57.800 --> 0:24:01.720 And what it means for them to be acculturated into 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:04.960 a society that doesn't want to see them, see their 0:24:05.400 --> 0:24:08.800 see their parents, see their caregivers, see their community. What 0:24:08.960 --> 0:24:11.240 comes up for you as a new parent as all 0:24:11.280 --> 0:24:16.200 of this is transpiring around us, well, First and foremost, 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:17.640 you know, I think that it's just like a deep 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:20.639 responsibility that he knows the truth, right, you know, Like 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:23.720 you know, it's it's crazy. The number of books that 0:24:23.760 --> 0:24:26.520 are on his shelves is like insane, right because I 0:24:26.600 --> 0:24:27.760 was just like, well, we have to get we have 0:24:27.800 --> 0:24:30.400 to start this library now because we have to start 0:24:30.520 --> 0:24:33.320 educating him on real truths and real facts. That's the 0:24:33.359 --> 0:24:35.560 first thing. It's like, it's a little bit terrifying to 0:24:35.720 --> 0:24:39.880 know that we have to like so closely safeguard facts 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:42.679 now from fiction. And then it's it's going to be 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:45.560 a personal responsibility. I honestly believe for parents to really 0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:47.760 do that. But the second thing is that this really 0:24:47.760 --> 0:24:50.560 feels like a parent rights issue. Like I remember, you know, 0:24:51.000 --> 0:24:52.960 especially a lot of these laws are coming through. I 0:24:53.000 --> 0:24:55.359 was like, I cannot imagine if someone told me, but 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:58.480 I couldn't do what I thought was best for my child, right, Like, 0:24:58.600 --> 0:25:00.560 you know, I'm sure my mother would feel the I like, 0:25:00.640 --> 0:25:05.000 you know, how can you say, like, I spend all 0:25:05.119 --> 0:25:08.080 day with this kid, I know exactly what's going on 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:10.360 with him, you know, And then how could you if 0:25:10.400 --> 0:25:14.080 he told me, you know, in a few years or 0:25:14.200 --> 0:25:16.320 even tomorrow, if you just learn how to talk to you. 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:18.840 You can say and he said, you know, hey, you know, 0:25:18.880 --> 0:25:21.200 blah blah, I'm trans, Like you know, I think I'm 0:25:21.240 --> 0:25:23.720 a girl, and you're gonna tell me that I somehow 0:25:23.760 --> 0:25:26.520 don't know what's best for him, and it just it 0:25:26.600 --> 0:25:28.560 just it boggles my mind. And it goes back to 0:25:28.560 --> 0:25:31.879 this idea of like the spectum fiction, right because like 0:25:32.200 --> 0:25:34.679 you have so many people saying that, you know, I 0:25:34.680 --> 0:25:37.680 don't want to wear a mask, It's my personal choice, yep. 0:25:37.880 --> 0:25:40.120 But then you know, when it comes to women's bodies, 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:42.160 they don't have a choice. When it comes to parents 0:25:42.280 --> 0:25:44.040 and how they want to raise their kids, they don't 0:25:44.080 --> 0:25:47.439 have a choice. And that's a really troubling pattern for me, 0:25:47.800 --> 0:25:52.000 right because like, ultimately I feel as though that this 0:25:52.119 --> 0:25:55.399