Vagina Monologues 2017

Heather Ross, Laura, Erin, Ramona, and Brenda joined me to perform and promote the 2017 production of the Vagina Monologues in Austin benefiting SafePlace. Heather is directing this year! The annual production of the Vagina Monologues is part of the VDay & 1 Billion Rising event celebration that goes on through much of February.

State of Texas Can't Explain Lack of Dignity for Women

Tonight Nancy Cardenas Pena Associate Director at the National Latina Institutes of Reproductive Health, Jan Soifer Travis County District Court Judge-Elect and Attorney at O'Connell Soifer LLP, the local law firm working with Center for Reproductive Rights on the current lawsuit against the State of Texas' fetal funeral regulation joined me and co-host Sonia Van Meter, political operative at Stanford Caskey, to talk about today's hearing to block the enforcement of fetal funeral regulations until a full hearing can be held, intersectionality, fetal funeral provisions, and reproductive justice. 

O'Connell Soifer also served as local counsel for Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. Jan recently served as Travis County Democratic Party Chair.

Freedom for Placentas for Women, if they Want

This summer State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D-143) one of the sponsors of 2015 HB 1670 regarding placentas, Kit Garcia Herbalist, Chemist and Acupuncturist at Dragonfly Wellness, and Sarah Fusco mother who was denied access to her placenta after delivering her second child in Austin in 2009 joined me to talk about the improved access to placentas after delivery since the passage of 2015's HB 1670.

Abbott & Texas HHSC Push Fetal Funeral Provision on Women

Mary Tuma of the Austin Chronicle and Alexa Garcia-Ditta of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas joined me to talk about the recently approved fetal funeral regulation put in place by Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Greg Abbott, sore loser of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, Abbott is looking to waste millions more in taxpayer dollars to defend a provision which is a wholly unconstitutional undue burden that does nothing to improve the health or well-being of one person.

Vaginismus and the Makers of Tightly Would

Last month Shelby Hadden writer and producer of Tightly Wound, her physical therapist Christina M Mcgee DPT of Sullivan Physical Therapy, and Sebastian Bisbal co-producer and animator of the film Tightly Wound joined me to talk about film-making and vaginismus. Shelby has lived with vaginismus for over 10 years.

Ohio Legislature Has No Heart, Passes Heartbeat Ban Bill

This week Nicole Knight of Rewire News, Julia D'Agostino of Women Have Options Ohio, and Sonia Van Meter of Stanford Caskey joined me to talk about the unconstitutional heartbeat ban bill passed through the Ohio legislature Tuesday.

We went over our time slot by about 10 minutes. There is no archive of that portion of the show for me to share. You can hear future episodes in their entirety by listening live at koop.org.

Lizz Winstead & Lady Parts Justice Bring Us the Golden Probes

Lizz Winstead of Daily Show, Lady Parts Justice, Air America, and Lizz Free or Die fame joined me to talk about the 2016 Golden Probes Awards held October 9 in NYC. You can watch the whole awards show on the site. It was so good.

"The 1st Annual Golden Probe Awards, a satirical and oh so glamorous awards show “honoring” outstanding achievement in sexism and anti-choice extremism streamed live from (le) Poisson Rouge in New York City on Sunday, October 2, 2016. Putting the LPJ spin on all of our favorite awards season tropes, the Golden Probes featured musical performances, dance numbers, outfit changes, and so many of our favorite comedians and pro-choice heroes putting the BIGGEST SEXIST ASSHOLES on blast! Check out all of the nominees and winners from 2016 here."

Swept Out from Under the Rug the Show and the Backlog

I got the chance to interview Nicole Stewart and Anton Schlesinger, co-producers of Out from Under the Rug:  True Life Tales of Abortion. This production debuted in Dallas and played there and in Austin. Each performance featured locals who had experienced abortion.

Scott Ross, one of the Austin contributors, joined us and shared some of his story.

"“Out From Under The Rug”: True Life Tales of Abortion is a live storytelling show produced by Oral Fixation (An Obsession with True Life Tales) to be held in two Texas cities this fall preceding the national elections. Each city will feature its own cast and will be performed in stunning, large state-of-the-art theatres. Think of a spotlight, a music stand and one person reading aloud their true, personal experiences with abortion. The speakers will include abortion providers, men whose loved ones have had an abortion, and women who have had and have not had abortions for many reasons. This emotionally charged evening will enlighten the audience as to varied experiences with abortion and will leave the viewer with a deeper understanding of real experiences and a more open mind and heart."