Morgan, Lewis, "objectivity," protests, and twitter dot com.

Hey friends, 

I hope you'll accept last week's newsletter a little bit late. Truthfully, I doubt anyone's sitting around impatiently waiting on the Gender Reveal newsletter ever, let alone right now, but I do try to hold up my end of the bargain when y'all are so incredibly generous in your support of my work.

The above photos are posters sent by friend of the show Lewis Raven Wallace, whose work re: antiracism and the myth of journalistic objectivity is more important now than ever. If you haven't, check out Lewi's podcast and book, The View from Somewhere, and wish Lewis a happy belated birthday. :) 

Anyway. Last week, we rebroadcast my conversation with Morgan Givens, an amazing storyteller and an even more amazing human. You may know Morgan as the creator of Flyest Fables, an all-ages fiction podcast that takes place both in a fantasy kingdom and our real-life world. In his Gender Reveal episode, Morgan shares his experiences as a Black trans man in America, explains his complicated relationship with policing, and, like Lewis, busts the myth of "journalistic objectivity." 

In the days since we re-aired this episode, Morgan has continued to speak truth to power on his Twitter account (and, I'm sure, elsewhere). We stand with him and with all Black and brown  journalists speaking out against racism and white supremacy in newsrooms.

[Text: “Only an “objectivity” built upon a foundation of white supremacy could make the phrase “Black Lives Matter” a controversial understanding for a journalist to have. Operating in this fashion, “objectivity’s” purpose is silence. Not truth.”]

[Text: "I've gotten more than 1 call from "well meaning" white folk asking me if "I'm sure" about what I'm posting on social media what if I want to work @NPR. Are you SURE you want to be the one asking me to be quiet in the face of white supremacy? What you want is my silence. No."]

[Text: "What will a career in journalism do me if I, and those like me, are dead?  What good would it do my soul to shrink from the truth in order to live half a life?  I have said what I said, and I mean what I say." ]

And speaking of Twitter, I've been covering the Portland protests most nights from my own twitter account as part of the Portland Mercury team. The Mercury is a left-leaning, pro-labor alt-weekly that is specifically focusing its protest coverage on documenting police brutality. I appreciate them very much. 

Unfortunately, I've been up until 2-3am most nights doing protest work, so this is leaving me very little time to do anything else, including Gender Reveal. But I think it's maybe OK that we focus on the protests right now, you know?

Anyway, I'm still planning to get a new episode up later today that's less gender-focused and more activism-and-abolition-focused,  so keep an eye on your podcast feeds and cross your fingers. 

Talk soon, I love you.

xo,
Yr resident gender detective