Issues for Your Tissues

Director Heather Ross, Producer Jeana Rich, and Stage manager Kim Bond join me to talk about the Vagina Monologues, VDay, One Billion Rising, vaginas, the open casting call for the production, gender-based violence, and being survivors.

Candace, local organizer for Reveal Beauty, joined me and apprentice Heather Ross to talk about breaking ground in Austin, hosting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, their programs, volunteerism, and more.

Jinny Suh and Lacy Walker of Immunize Texas join me to talk flu shots, conspiracy theorists, school vaccination rates, lackluster state policies, and public health.

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, author of Lizz Free or Die and founder of Abortion Access Front (Abortion AF), joined me to talk about Abortion Access Front, its Do Re #MeToo tour, Tuesday, September 17th Austin stop, and clinic support.

Local author and mother of two, Brooklyn James joined to talk about her book, Born In the Bed You Were Made in which she illustrates the differences between her first birth in hospital and second birth at home. Her midwife, Genevieve Schaefer CPM joined to share as well.

Director Leah Carlisle and some of the all woman crew of the documentary film, Citizen, joined me to talk about the movie, filmmaking, and women in media.

Monica McLemore RN, MPH, PhD joined me to talk about her work at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California San Francisco, her research, her teaching, her patients, and her recent piece in May's issue of Scientific American.

Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire.News joined me to talk about the SCOTUS decision on Masterpiece Cake Shop and other federal cases she's been watching for us.

Kathryn Gonzales joined me to talk about end of year celebrations for OutYouth, their programs, and the Gavin Grimm case.

Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire.News joins to talk us through legal ramifications of Domestic Gag Rule.

BossBabes joined me to talk about their new program, #EveryoneWeKnow which deals with the aftermath of #metoo.

This week family physician and regular Houston Chronicle public health op-ed author Dr. Bich-May Nguyen MD and Mary Tuma Women's Health Reporter at the Austin Chronicle joined me to talk about the effects of the special session on women's health.

Sociologist Dr. Holly Wood PhD and Heather Ross cofounder of Austin Chapter Women in Games and NARAL Pro-Choice Texas board member joined me to talk about the Google bro memo and the reactions to it.

Teddy Wilson Staff Reporter at Rewire News joined me to talk about the special session and its impact on Texans.

Issues for Your Tissues episode from July 27, 2017 featuring Calla Hales lead Administrator of Charlotte, NC's A Preferred Women's Health Center and Lindsay Beyerstein, Investigative Journalist and Director of the documentary Care in Chaos which featured Calla and the clinic prominently.Care in Chaos is Rewire News' first documentary production.

Stefani Threadgill and Heather McPherson of Southwest Sexual Health Alliance joined me to talk about their new Dallas location. Stefani is the Director of the Dallas location. Houston location starts up soon too.

Sexual Health Alliance brings their programs to the Chicago area and builds a sister branch.

The organizers of Austin's 2017 VDay joined me to talk about the event and its importance.

Aimee Arrambide of Fund Texas Choice and Public Leadership Institute with co-host Sonia Van Meter of Stanford Campaigns. We talked about Aimee's work crafting and editing model reproductive justice legislation.

Jessica Mason Pieklo co-author of Crow After Roe, written with co-author Robin Marty, joined me to talk about reproductive rights and intersectionality, particularly how individual states' legislatures are serving as testing grounds for laws eroding women's right to bodily autonomy. You can find Jessica and Robin's work all over the internet; both are at Rewire News.

Teddy Wilson of Rewire News joined me and Sonia Van Meter of Stanford Campaigns for a Texas 85th Legislative Session update. There's never enough time to talk about all of the bills that will affect reproductive justice.

Tonight's show featured Women's March on Austin organizers Sylvia Holmes, Melissa Fiero, Beth Andre and Simone Laurent.

Isabel Stevens of the Big Pink Bus, Seton's mobile mammography clinic joined me to talk about the services they provide 6 days a week. They perform free mammography all over town for low-income, uninsured women over 40 who qualify. Call 512-324-3375 to make an appointment.

Terry Salas Merritt, the Board Chair of Abortion Conversations Projects, and Sonia Van Meter joined me to talk stigma and ways to undo it.

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.