Thread the Needle

2020 will go down in history as a year of racial reckoning. Reporting from Iowa, just a few hours’ drive from Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed by the police in May, host Donna Cleveland grapples with the state of racism in the Midwest. While Midwesterners are known for being neighborly, with slogans like Iowa Nice, it turns out that flyover country harbors a history of racist policies and practices, the legacy of which we’re still living with today. The result is that racial inequality in the Midwest is greater than anywhere else in the country, even the South. This episode explores what it’s really like to live in the Midwest if you’re a person of color, how we got here, and what we can do about it. Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod.

Does the thought of growing old fill you with dread? If so, have you thought about why? In episode 6 of Thread the Needle, discover what the internal experience of old age is really like. The closer you look at the research, the more contradictions you’ll find. Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod. Read the episode transcript at TheNeedle.co

Listen to a conversation between Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, and Lauren Schiller of Inflection Point on the dangers of white feminism and what actions we can take to dismantle systemic racism.

Raised evangelical Christian, feminist writer Lyz Lenz grew up believing her anger made her bad. In the fifth episode of Thread the Needle, find out what happens when Lyz starts listening to her feelings. Along the way, discover the dark underbelly of repressed rage.Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod.

Often the questions people ask about the LGBTQ community betray underlying negative beliefs. In today’s bonus episode, Host Donna Cleveland revisits episode 2, which centered around the suicide of a 14-year-old transgender boy in her hometown of Fairfield, Iowa. She invites Clinical Social Worker Dr. Damon Constantinides to the show to explain what the gender affirmative model is, why you shouldn’t ask if gender dysphoria is a phase, and how to be a true ally to trans youth.

In the fourth episode of Thread the Needle, Donna explores why women are still stuck doing most of the housework and uncovers a perplexing research finding—splitting chores fairly does not create happier couples.Follow Thread the Needle on Instagram @theneedlepod.

Why do we desexualize women when they become mothers? The third episode of Thread the Needle explores the messages society sends us about how mothers should look and behave. Discover the strange history behind why many women still feel they must leave their sexual identity behind once they have a baby in their arms.

The suicide of a 14-year-old trans boy in small-town middle America leaves a community grappling with questions about the nature of gender. There are 1.4 million transgender adults living in the United States, a staggering 41 percent of which have reported attempting suicide at least once in their lifetime. The second episode of Thread the Needle explores the question—what do we need to understand about gender and how it influences our sense of self in order to better support this vulnerable population?In this episode, we’ll explore commonly asked questions including:#1: Is gender something that’s taught, or is it an innate part of our identity?#2: Can gender dysphoria be a phase?#3: At what age should parents teach their kids what transgender and nonbinary mean?#4: When is the right time to consider putting kids on hormones, treatments that can have irreversible effects?#5: Why is the suicide rate so high for people who are transgender?Instagram: @theneedlepod

The way we date has changed drastically in the last decade, from hookup culture to the advent of dating apps. However, traditional (and gendered) dating etiquette is still alive and well—many women still want men to pay for dates. In the first episode of Thread the Needle, your host Donna Cleveland explores the history of heterosexual dating in America in order to answer the question: can you be a feminist and still want a guy to pick up the tab?Instagram @theneedlepodExpert Guests:Dr. Beth Bailey, Historian, Professor at University of Kansas & author of From Front Porch to Backseat, which chronicles the history of dating in 20th century America.Laura Moses, Author of Things You Should Already Know About Dating, You F*cking Idiot and Contributor for Elite DailyHosted and produced by: Donna ClevelandOriginal music by: Meara Oberdieck, Taylor RossEpisode artwork by: Chosie TitusProduction and sound help from: Cody Olivas, Nicholas NaiotiAudio clips from: Free Internet Archive, Coronet Instructional Films, and David Hoffman’s YouTube Channel

Journalist and feminist Donna Cleveland is on a mission to make sense of the mixed messages we send women. See where this journey leads with Season 1 of Thread the Needle, a monthly podcast that debuts Wednesday, October 2.