The Bipolar Feminist Podcast
By Nikita Ramkissoon
The Bipolar Feminist PodcastMar 12, 2023
Interview with Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud
I speak with Hani Mahmoud, Gaza's war correspondent for Al Jazeera, about the state of journalism and the genocide in Gaza.
The global digital intifada
Social media enables Palestinians to share videos about the realities they experience and they have experienced success in getting the attention of many international communities.
Interview with Sundos Hammad of the R2E Campaign
I speak with Sundus Hammad, coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign, who says Palestinian education is under attack but the more aware we become, the more we can resist Israel's occupation and scholasticide.
Podcast: GBA Podcast interviews me on Palestine and some other stuff
Nez Reign from the GBA Podcast in Germany and I chat about Palestine, journalism, gender identity, and Abu Obeida.
Genocide, its definition, and characteristics
It was more than seventy years ago that United Nations member states approved the Genocide Convention born out of the desire to ensure that “never again” would any person face the horror of genocide. Since then, we have seen that the world is not free from the threat and reality of the “odious scourge” of genocide as laid out in the document. More than 20 genocides have taken place since the convention was signed and there are three that we know of happening currently - in Palestine, the Congo, and Sudan.
The New York Times and its credibility problem
If the Times wanted to serve its readers and the world, especially in this volatile time, it would launch a transparent investigation into this botched article, the biggest failure of journalism at the newspaper since Judith Miller’s infamous and discredited articles on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2002 and 2003. Just as Miller regurgitated war propaganda on behalf of the Bush administration, the Times is now serving as a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and Joe Biden as his lapdog. But there’s little chance the Times will come clean about this latest fiasco.
Deconstructing Israel's claims of rape on 7 October
I can safely say that while I believe women regardless - sometimes to my detriment - I do not believe the Israeli government, media, and military.
Analysis of the ICJ ruling against Israel
There are mixed feelings and has been much analysis on why it’s either a success or failure or both. Presiding Judge Joan Donoghue said the court was acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering and that some allegations against Israel fall within the provisions of the Genocide Convention and acknowledged that “Gaza has become a place of death and despair”.
An intersectional approach to Palestine
Intersections of privilege and oppression play a large part in the current genocide of the Palestinian people and the rhetoric surrounding it.
Germany, the Holocaust, and Palestine
In Germany’s eternal search for atonement, it has instead found further imperialism that does not atone for its genocidal past - it feeds into colonialist aims that are built on the eradication of a people that have wanted nothing but self-determination.
Palestine and press freedom
The challenges faced by journalists in Palestine serve as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting this fundamental right worldwide. A free press is not only essential for the people in the region but also for fostering understanding and empathy on a global scale.
Interview with Gaza journalist Ahmad Ghanim
"My heart is cut into pieces." This is just one of the heartbreaking things Gazan journalist Ahmed Ghanim said to me as we spoke about the state of Gaza and his work as a journalist in the area, where journalists are being killed at an unprecedented rate.
Scapegoating the marginalised
The reason they look for a scapegoat is simple. Whiteness is fragile and indefinable - it is constantly shifting and evolving to current and sometimes future needs and white privilege evolves with it.
Interview with Roshan Dadoo of the BDS Coalition
Roshan Dadoo explains the meaning of Boycott, divestment, and sanctions, as well as the political landscape of South Africa's relationship with Israel and Palestine.
Interview with Dr Khaled Qadomi from the Palestinian resistance
I interviewed the physician and representative of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, about the current situation in Gaza.
Interview with Busy Wizard Dice featuring Dumbledore and Dobby
I interviewed Lauren from Busy Wizard Dice, who is a bespoke dicemaker from the US, making custom and chaotic dice for D&D. You can find her on social media as @busywizarddice. We talk about D&D, and being a woman on the internet, and have a few cute interruptions by Lauren's cats, Dumbledore and Dobby.
Capitalism, colonialism, and multigenerational homes
Extended families come with great strengths. An extended family is one or more families in a supporting web. The prevalence of extended families living together meant that things that took a village to do meant families had a village to do it with. When colonisation takes hold of our communities, the multigenerational home and our ways of living have been and are destroyed for whiteness and Western ways of living.
Women in Palestine
In the occupied Palestinian territory, Palestinian women and girls endure systemic discrimination, human rights violations, and the harsh consequences of occupation, with specific gender-related repercussions. These challenges are exacerbated by occupation policies such as expanding settlements, eviction threats, house demolitions (especially in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank), and the 15-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Queerness, communism, and the church with The Trans Narrative Podcast
The Trans Narrative Podcast and The Bipolar Feminist speak to Ross Cheetham about the church, communism, and queerness. On a personal note, Ross is a friend whom I love dearly and is an integral part of this Patreon community and my life as a whole. He is, to this day, the longest-subscribing Patron of The Bipolar Feminist.
From the river to the sea
Israel is the symbolic bastion of colonial thought, sentiment, and action. A physical reminder to the global south that we are not safe from imperialism. An imperialist-colonialist project in its very essence, from its inception to its current execution.
Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder
It’s sometimes a feeling of suddenly becoming an observer of my own speech and actions. It’s sometimes hearing voices. In some cases, the voices accompany multiple streams of thought and it feels like everywhere is loud, no matter where I turn and I have no control over it.
Interview: Horror writer Vaughn A. Jackson
I interviewed horror writer Vaughn A. Jackson, who is working on an anthology of short stories written entirely by marginalised people in the horror genre.
Hypersexuality and sexual trauma
In the framework of a trauma response, hypersexuality often comes from internalising the sexual objectification thrust upon a person through sexual trauma. This commonly starts from a young age, moulding self-worth as they normalise this belief.
The fetishisation of Indian women
In the realm of fetish communities, some individuals specifically seek out partners from particular racial backgrounds, objectifying and dehumanising them in the process. This not only disregards the complexity of individual identities but also reduces them to mere caricatures.
Interview with Revolutionary Lumpen Radio
Lumpens of the world unite with this interview by Shibby from Revolutionary Lumpen Radio talking about Marxism and Feminism. It's still strange being on the other side of the interview so enjoy my ranting.
The intersections of racism and fatphobia
Fatness has always been seen as a personal failing but there is most definitely a connection to capitalism and access to healthcare. It starts with acknowledging the existence of these biases and working towards understanding their impact on marginalised communities. Education and awareness play crucial roles in dismantling stereotypes and promoting inclusivity.
Women in fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is a genre that has captivated readers for centuries, transporting us to imaginary worlds filled with magic, mythical creatures, and heroic quests and has recently begun to enter the mainstream. Within the realms of fantasy, the portrayal of women has evolved significantly over time, reflecting societal changes and challenging traditional gender roles. But the representation of women in fantasy literature and their roles as protagonists, warriors, leaders, and complex characters who defy stereotypes has been paltry at best.
Gender and race inequality in sports
Masculine hegemony is the acceptance that men have rights to authority, and therefore, it is only natural that men are overrepresented in positions of leadership. In the realm of sports, this principle justifies the current statistics on sports leadership.
Managing mental illness without treatment
The lack of access and affordability to mental health treatment make it difficult to manage, which is why we need universal basic healthcare, which is the only way to ensure everyone gets the help they need and not just the few who can afford it.
Interview: Black men's mental health activist Jayvon Thomas
Jayvon, known on social media as Original Keith, is a student, educator, and activist whose focus is on the upliftment of the black community in the US. Studying psychology in order to help black men navigate the stigmatised world of mental health, Jayvon is aiming to see black liberation but knows that it may not be in his lifetime. We talk about black identity, books, and police killings of unarmed black Americans. Please support Jayvon by donating to his Cashapp on $JayvonT22.
An overview of privilege
The crux of the issue when discussing privilege and how many misunderstand the term is that having privilege does not mean that an individual is immune to life’s hardships, but it does mean having an unearned benefit or advantage one receives in society by nature of their identity.
Interview with Scots poet Len Pennie
I have a great chat more than an interview with Len Pennie, a Scottish poet and Scots language and mental health advocate, who is also a dear friend and fellow feminist writer.
Whiteness in interracial relationships
In relationships with white people, we have structures of internalised superiority and internalised inferiority that have resulted in white people overestimating their human value or are unencumbered by race, and people of colour underestimating their worth based on race.
Living with autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.
Being brown and the beauty industry
Beauty has everything to do with how the world sees us and everything to do with how we choose to show ourselves to the world. In the world’s insistence that we, as brown-skinned people with brown histories, aspire to be as white as possible, any sort of celebration and marking of brownness as good is undesirable for whiteness to flourish.
Say their names
Black people killed by police from 1870 to 2023. None of them had been charged with a crime.
Artwork of Aiyana Stanley Jones by Adrian Brandon from his "Stolen" series, dedicated to the many Black people that were robbed of their lives at the hands of the police. I use time as a medium to define how long each portrait is coloured in. One year of life meant one minute of colour.
The Male Gaze and its effects
The male gaze encompasses sexual objectification, which is the way in which the female body is viewed as an object only deemed purposeful for male sexual interaction and gratification. What happens through this sexual objectification is that men objectify woman’s bodies.
Disability, brownness, and feminism
The disabled people's movement - while many and sometimes the majority of its activists are women - is still informed by political and theoretical debates which strangely sideline brown women's experiences and issues. In this regard, none of the movements are truly intersectional.
Feminism and the Global South
While I do agree that solidarity is essential, and that listening to other contexts matters, I challenge the idea of passive solidarity with western feminism as the way to go about ensuring freedom for all women the world over. The global South" is not a homogenous space.
The power of the feminist manifesto
The ultimate goal of the feminist manifesto is to direct our energies to the wide range of targets for our oppression, to shamelessly operate as both individuals and a collective body, to welcome into the fold new and forgotten voices of feminist resistance, and to express righteous anger loudly and forcefully, even with the weight of the world on our shoulders.
Mythbusting intersectional feminism
There are many myths about feminism that pervade the truth about the movement. In order to debunk these myths we need to understand what feminism actually is before we show what it isn’t. Feminism is the belief in social, political and economic equality of all people regardless of sex, sexuality or gender identity.
A feminist analysis of domestic violence
Although domestic violence has been defined in a variety of different ways, and there is no “perfect definition,” it can be defined as a pattern of behaviour in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner.
Podcast: Mental health and brown communities
Mental health issues are an increasing problem in communities of colour. This is not surprising, given the unique challenges we face as the global majority that do not have the same access to resources, education, and jobs as our white counterparts.
Pornography through a feminist lens
Pro-porn feminists first asserted that sex work is no different from other kinds of work during the fight against the MacKinnon-Dworkin ordinance, an argument that is especially important because it then follows that the porn set, like any other workplace, should be safe, regulated, and free from discrimination.
How rape culture distorts the reality of sexual violence
Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorisation or blatant disregard of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.
Stereotypes and tokenism
Stereotyping is just one of the things that impact people in ways that homogenises large groups of people and it can lead to what is called tokenism.
Whiteness Part II
The second episode in a two-part series that looks at a brief rundown on the history and meaning of whiteness.
Whiteness Part I
The first episode in a two-part series that looks at a brief rundown on the history and meaning of whiteness.
All about ADHD
Despite how common ADHD is, doctors and researchers still aren’t sure what causes the condition. It’s believed to have neurological origins. Genetics may also play a role. Research suggests that a reduction in dopamine is a factor in ADHD.
TERFs are neither radical nor feminist
It is not sex that determines one’s experiences with oppression, but gender identity’s relationship with that sex. Cisgender women are undeniably oppressed in comparison to cisgender men, and their oppression is not dismissed when compared to their transgender sisters.