A new episode of Imagine Otherwise just dropped!
In episode 149 of Imagine Otherwise, I interview women’s and gender studies professor Mairead Sullivan about the histories and futures of lesbian feminism.
Mairead is the author of the new book Lesbian Death: Desire and Danger between Feminist and Queer, which offers a love letter to lesbian feminist world building while also refuting the weaponization of lesbian identity against trans lives and trans communities.
In our conversation, Mairead and I explore how the political and economic project of lesbian feminism has evolved over time and how different generations of queer and trans folks have remade what the identity of lesbian can and does mean.
We also delve into our experiences of aging, anxieties over the loss of the lesbian bar scene, and the complex ways ambivalence and nostalgia play out in contemporary queer and feminist politics.
Finally, we close out the interview with a vision for a lesbian feminist future, one grounded in intersectional, trans-inclusive, and capacious ways of imagining otherwise.
You can catch the episode on your favorite podcast player or the Ideas on Fire website here: Mairead Sullivan on Lesbian Feminist World-building
