Feminist Current

Meghan Murphy

Meghan Murphy brings you voices from the real women's movement — bold, unapologetic, and honest.

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20 episodes
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English

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Mar 6, 2024 · 1 hr 5 min
Emma Thomas' father 'came out' as trans when she was nine—now she fights to protect kids like her
It's only recently that we are beginning to hear the stories of family members of men who have begun identifying as women, from the “trans widow” to, now, the children of transitioners. Emma Thomas is the founder of the campaign group, Children of Transitioners, a group that questioned the University of Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust on their “perinatal care policy for trans and non binary people policy." Children of Transitioners inquired about “safeguarding concerns about the sexual and emotional abuse of babies and children of transitioners” and asked about evidence supporting the claim that the “milk” produced by trans-identified men after taking a combination of drugs is “comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby.” Emma's own father "came out" to her as "trans" when she was nine. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with her about her childhood, her father, and her concerns about protecting kids and babies from trans ideology. Feminist Current is a fully listener-supported podcast. Please consider becoming a ⁠paid subscriber⁠ on Substack or ⁠supporting us with a donation⁠.
Jan 9, 2024 · 1 hr 5 min
Sasha Ayad: When kids say they're trans
Sasha Ayad⁠ is Licensed Professional Counselor who has treated adolescents for over 13 years. She began feeling concerned about the trans trend reaching teens, and after learning about Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) so began looking into the “trans kid”phenomenon more deeply. Sasha became a founding board member of several organizations fighting for a more cautious, science-based approach, including ⁠Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine⁠, ⁠The Gender Exploratory Therapy Association,⁠ and ⁠Genspect.⁠ She is co-host of Gender: A Wider Lens⁠ Podcast⁠ and co-author, alongside Lisa Marchiano and Stella O’Malley, of a new book called, ⁠When Kids Say They’re Trans⁠. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with her about what’s really behind teenagers' desire to transition and what parents can do when dealing with a teen identifying as trans. Feminist Current is a fully listener-supported podcast. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack or supporting us with a donation.
Aug 24, 2023 · 56 min
Helen Joyce on how the Labour Party changed its stance on gender identity
Helen Joyce is a journalist, editor, and the author of Trans: When ideology meets reality. Helen is also a founder of Sex Matters, a campaign group advocating for clarity about the two sexes—male and female—in law and in life. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Helen about new political developments in the UK around gender identity legislation and women's sex-based rights, why women's bathrooms matter, and her spat with Matt Walsh. Feminist Current has been fully independent since 2012. Please consider a donation to support our work.
Apr 21, 2023 · 54 min
Pornhub was hosting videos of minors and trafficking victims — what's next?
In February 2020, Laila Mickelwait, Exodus Cry’s Director of Abolition at the time, published an op-ed titled, “Time to Shut Pornhub Down,” bringing attention to the fact that Pornhub was hosting child pornography and videos of trafficking victims on the site. This sparked a petition and accompanying campaign, Traffickinghub. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Nicholas Kristof, published a scathing exposé in the New York Times, titled, “The Children of Pornhub," leading the company to leap to action, deleting 80% of their content overnight — about 10 million videos. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cut ties with the site. In 2021, Canadian parliament began to investigate the Canadian-based company that owns Pornhub, MindGeek and a number of lawsuits were filed against the company on behalf of survivors. NCOSE — the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation — filed several of these lawsuits, representing victims seeking justice against MindGeek. NCOSE was featured in a documentary released on Netflix last money, purporting to address the scandal, called Money Shot. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Haley McNamara, Director of the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation in the UK and a Vice President at the U.S. based National Center on Sexual Exploitation, about the situation at Pornhub, the Netflix documentary, and NCOSE’s efforts to stop exploitation in porn.
Mar 23, 2023 · 1 hr 15 min
Beyond a woman's choice: the real story of prostitution in Canada
The issue of prostitution in Canada has been left mostly uncovered. The debate in the public sphere tends to centre around questions of "women’s choices," and the left chants "sex work is work" in an effort to frame the problems in the sex trade as being limited to labour standards. Meanwhile, the men who pay for sex and exploit women in trade are ignored. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Andrea Heinz and Kathy King, co-authors of a soon-to-be-released book, “When Men Buy Sex: Who Really Pays?” Andrea Heinz is a Canadian feminist who spent seven years in Edmonton’s licensed and regulated sex trade. She is completing a University degree in Governance, Law & Management and is married with three young children. Kathy King is a clinical social worker (BA, BSW, MSW) with over five decades of professional employment and volunteer advocacy. In 1997, her passion became personal when she lost her only daughter to drug addiction, mental illness, and exploitation. Her story is shared at MissingCara.ca
Feb 5, 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
The truth about OnlyFans, with Alix Aharon
Porn and people’s relationships to porn has changed immensely since the advent of the internet — even moreso with apps like OnlyFans and other social media tools that connect consumers directly to women. Many argue these tools are a means to empower women — allowing them freedom, independence, and the ability to make a lot of money. But is that really the case? To learn more about the realities behind platforms like OnlyFans, Meghan Murphy speaks with Alix Aharon, Co-Founder of Partners for Ethical Care (PEC), the Founder of the Gender Mapping Project, and a porn researcher.
Jan 22, 2023 · 39 min
Are trans rights really human rights? Robert Wintemute on the trans rights debate and how we got here
Robert Wintemute, a professor of human rights law at King's College London and a lawyer for the LGB Alliance, was scheduled to give a talk called called “Sex vs. Gender (Identity) Debate In the United Kingdom and the Divorce of LGB from T,” at McGill University in Montreal last week. The event never happened, though, cancelled shortly after it began as protesters stormed the venue shouting profanities and slogans like, "Trans rights are human rights," threw flour at Robert, and unplugged a projector he used for the event. Robert rightly called the protest “extremely anti-democratic.” In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with him about the protest, as well as how we came to a place wherein trans rights have superseded women’s sex-based human rights in law.
Jan 3, 2023 · 47 min
Scottish women face a bigger fight as gender self-ID bill passes
Scottish women suffered major blow in December when the SNP government passed a bill that will allow anyone to get a gender recognition certificate through self-declaration without a diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" or doctor’s assessment. They will need only to claim to have been "living as a different gender" for three months. Teenagers will become eligible to apply to change their legal sex on the day of their 16th birthday. For Women Scotland was founded in June 2018 amid fear exactly this would happen, leading to an erosion of women’s rights. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with director of For Women Scotland, Susan Smith, about the group's fight for women’s sex based rights in the country and what happens now that the Gender Recognition Reform Bill has passed.
Dec 21, 2022 · 41 min
Marissa Darlingh was fired as a school counselor for speaking out against gender identity ideology
Marissa Darlingh was an elementary school counselor with over a decade of experience working with students in culturally diverse public school districts when she was fired from her job at Allen-Field Elementary School in the Milwaukee Public School District. After speaking at an April 23 rally in Madison against gender identity ideology in schools, a campaign was organized to get Marissa fired, and her supervisor began an investigation. Marissa was subsequently suspended, then received a no-trespass order. She received a letter of termination on September 30, and filed a federal lawsuit, arguing this was a violation of her free speech rights. Her attorneys also argued the district violated Darlingh's constitutional right to due process by not giving her sufficient notice before she was suspended from her job on June 14. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Marissa about her work, her case, "allying with the right," and why she spoke out against teaching kids about gender identity ideology.
Nov 28, 2022 · 50 min
Maryam Namazie on the women's revolution in Iran
Two months ago, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini traveled from her hometown in the province of Kurdistan to the Iranian capital, Tehran, to visit her brother. She was arrested by the morality police getting off the subway for failing to cover her hair properly, in accordance with Iran’s Sharia law. Three days later, she was dead, beaten severly in the head. Iranian women said "No more," and launched an uprising. Protests and demonstrations have been ongoing ever since. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Maryam Namazie, a secularist, feminist, and human rights activist, about the uprisings, the history of Saria law and women’s rights in Iran, and how Western feminists can better support Iranian women in their fight for freedom.
Nov 7, 2022 · 49 min
Sall Grover wanted to create a female-only app — she didn't know that would make her a target
Today, women only spaces are highly controversial. Thanks to gender identity legislation, “female only” has become practically obsolete. When Sall Grover set out to create a female only social network and app, she was trying to help — offering women a space where they needn’t deal with the predatory, sexist, harassing behaviour of men. She had no idea such an endeavour would make her a target. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with the founder & CEO of Giggle about her experience trying to get the app off the ground, and about a case brought against her on account of a complaint lodged against her by a trans activist named Roxy Tickle, with regard to a tweet exchange between the two about the McIver’s Ladies Baths in Sydney and about the fact Roxy was kicked off of Giggle after breaking the rules on sex to gain access to the app.
Oct 25, 2022 · 1 hr 12 min
Beyond Fantasy — Benjamin Nolot exposes the truth about porn, and it is dark
Pornography has been wholly normalized in our society. It is expected that men and boys use it, is joked about, and is treated as a harmless pastime — synonomous with masturbation. But the industry is anything but harmless. Benji Nolot is the founder of Exodus Cry, an NGO committed to abolishing sex trafficking and breaking the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation while assisting and empowering its victims. He recently produced a series called, Beyond Fantasy, which looks at the disturbing realities of popular genres of porn like "barely legal" and "hardcore," as well as the reality of coercion, violence, and health impacts like STIs on those on film. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Benji about the documentary series and what we all need to know about what goes on on and off screen in porn. The truth is almost unimaginably disturbing.
Oct 5, 2022 · 1 hr 3 min
Do feminists need to pick a side? Katy Worley on political purity and Standing for Women
Infighting is not new to feminism — who is doing things right, who is doing things wrong, who is toxic, who is good, who is a phony, a grifter, not an ally, too right, too rich, too academic, too old, or too pretty has always been up for debate, and potentially a reason to cancel women from the movement. Today, even within the already marginal "gender critical feminist" umbrella, women are expected to pick sides on party lines. Women like Kellie-Jay Keen (Posie Parker) seem particularly divisive. Last week, Posie held a Speaker’s Corner event in Brighton, which drew the attention of trans activists as well as many women wanting to speak out about the impact of gender identity ideology on their lives and rights. But it also drew the ire of some feminists, who complained that Posie’s event (and her work, more broadly) was too closely connected to the right. One response came from Katy Worley, also known as DJ Lippy, a London-based DJ turned activist, best known for her work with the feminist collective Make More Noise. She began organizing protests and publicity stunts to fight gender identity ideology back in 2020 and produces a weekly talk show called Wombs with a View. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Katy about the controversy and whether feminists need to choose between left and right.
Sep 26, 2022 · 1 hr 10 min
The Business of Birth Control
The pill has long been heralded as a win for women — a path towards freedom, a woman’s right, a pivotal aspect of the sexual revolution — but is hormonal birth control really all that? The Business of Birth Control, a new documentary from the creators of The Business of Being Born, takes a critical look at the connection between hormonal birth control and women’s health and liberation. Is the pill really a win for women? In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with filmmaker, Abby Epstein, and Holly Grigg-Spall, author of Sweetening the Pill: Or How We Got Hooked On Hormonal Birth Control and a producer of The Business of Birth Control, about why they made this film, what they learned, and why women should be more wary of getting on the pill. Get 50% off your rental of The Business of Birth Control using the code FEMINISTCURRENT. FEMINISTCURRENT and is valid for all screening options of The Business of Birth Control and The Business of Being Born. You can also get 50% off the Business of Birth Control Masterclass using the FEMINISTCURRENT coupon code. Find The Business of Birth Control on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Sep 15, 2022 · 53 min
Are gun rights women’s rights? Antonia Okafor Cover offers a feminist argument for gun ownership
Most feminists don't think of guns as means to empower women — rather, we tend to see them as a danger. Antonia Okafor Cover, the founder and president of EMPOWERED, sees things differently. Antonia is the National Director of Women's Outreach and a national spokesperson for Gun Owners of America. She founded EMPOWERED in order to educate, train, and equip young women in the use of firearms for protection on college campuses, as well as to help women advocate for their Second Amendment rights. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Antonia about her life, politics, and why she decided to take up arms. Purchase tickets for "Women Leaving the Left: Breaking the political binary" at Eventbrite.
Aug 23, 2022 · 1 hr
Julie Jaman was banned from a pool for telling a male to leave the change room, but she's not backing down
Earlier this month, Julie Jaman, an 80-year-old resident of Port Townsend, Washington, was banned from her local community pool. Her crime was to ask a male to leave the female change room. Just moments after she told Clementine Adams to “get out of here,” she was told by YMCA aquatics manager, Rowen DeLuna, “You’re discriminating and you can’t use the pool anymore and I’m calling the police.” There was no signage indicating women and girls should be prepared to encounter males in their change room, though Julie was later informed that “Pride posters” should indicate as much. Erin Hawkins, communications manager for the pool, claimed Julie was “permanently suspended from the Mountain View Pool due to her repeatedly violating our Code of Conduct, specifically, using disrespectful words or gestures toward YMCA staff or others; using abusive, harassing and/or obscene language or gestures toward YMCA staff or others.” None of this is true. Meghan Murphy speaks with Julie from her home in Port Townsend. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to support our work.
Aug 2, 2022 · 1 hr 15 min
Louise Perry thinks sexual liberation didn't liberate women at all
The sexual revolution is generally understood to have been liberating for women — we could enjoy sex free from social consequences as well as outside the context of marriage and reproduction. Women no longer need to marry or have children if they don’t want to. They can have sex before marriage. They can have casual sex. They can divorce if they are unhappy in marriage. They can, in theory anyway, have sex "like men." This is what we are told, in any case. But is this a good thing? Louise Perry doesn’t think so. Her book, "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution," asks whether all this liberation was actually, well, liberating for women. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with her about hookup culture, pornography, marriage, casual sex, and the pill. Louise Perry is a new mother, a columnist at New Statesman, and the Press Officer for the campaign group We Can’t Consent To This. Her book is available now in the UK and scheduled to be released in the US in September.
Jul 22, 2022 · 38 min
Christina Ellingsen is facing prison time for saying that men aren't women
Norwegian feminist Christina Ellingsen is facing a prison sentence of up to three years for saying that men cannot be lesbians or mothers. Country contact for Women’s Declaration International (WDI) in Norway, Christina is being investigated under hate crime charges for tweets she made between February 2021 and January 2022, directed at Christine Marie Jentoft, a representative for Norwegian trans activist group, Foreningen (FRI), such as, “You are a man. You cannot be a mother.” In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Christina about the charges, feminism in Norway, and what the implications of these kinds of hate speech laws have. Donate to support Christina's legal fund here.
Jul 14, 2022 · 1 hr
Katherine Deves on Australian politics, modern feminism, and why she stood up for girls' and women's sport
Katherine Deves is a Sydney-based lawyer and mother of three daughters. In 2020, she realized no one was standing up for female athletes in Australia, so joined forces with women in New Zealand to co-found Save Women's Sport Australasia. Katherine gained national prominence during the 2022 Australian federal election when she ran, ultimately unsuccessfully, as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Warringah. She was attacked viciously for her efforts to defend girls' and women's sport, arguing against allowing male athletes to compete with and against females. Meghan Murphy speaks with her over the phone from her home in Sydney.
Jun 28, 2022 · 46 min
Mary Lou Singleton on Roe v Wade, the abortion debate, and how we got here
Last week, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Why did this happen? Who is to blame? What does this mean for American women? How do we move forward? In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Mary Lou Singleton, a family nurse practitioner and midwife who advocates for women's reproductive sovereignty, medical freedom, and bodily autonomy.

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