Morales Girls: Reclaiming Ourselves

This episode could also be called: Josina has no filter today! We talk about Karens, privileges, and actions that reinvest back into upholding oppression. Why are people Karens, Chads and otherwise jerks? At what deeper level does the notion of a "Karen" uphold societal oppression and reinvest back into injustice? Also, starting at 25 minutes, Shell talks about moving to Hawaii and some...

Aaaaaaaaaaand we're back! Phew, that was a long break! Lots of stuff happened between now and the last time you heard from us, that's for sure. We can't cover it all in one episode, but in the meantime enjoy this one with a few updates, and a discussion about mental health (read: breakdowns), activism, and the importance of REST! Here is information on the book discussed in this epi...

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Canton Winer to our podcast for Ace Awareness Week! He is an assistant professor at Nothern Illinois University doing research about asexuality, sexuality and gender performance. It was so lovely to talk about asexuality, ace experience, and the broader implications it carries for queerness and society! We talk about holding multiple identities, the importance of c...

We're on a journey to authenticity... But how does your environment (and the people in it) influence your ability to be authentic? How do we build genuine connections and find meaning in life? What does capitalism have to do with any of it? Listen to this episode and we'll explore it together! Follow us on Instagram at our handle @authenticallyqueerlyus  As always, our theme song is &quo...

We're back! Hi! We give a brief overview of where we've been and why we disappeared, and what's going on now! We are both in therapy and ready to share what we've been learning. We are embarking on a journey to authenticity, and today we ask what even is authenticity. How do we find authenticity outside of who we are told to be?  Follow us on Instagram @authenticallyqueerlyus f...

We have another guest today! Please welcome the amazing, brilliant, fantastic Dr. Womack! She is a professor in Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of California, Riverside as well as other campuses. You may have heard our episode "What Does 'Queer' Mean to You?" which was inspired by questions Dr. Womack asks in class! This time, we got to ask her some questions a...

Disney might have lied about a lot, but we just got proof that dreams really can come true. Listen in to hear our good news! Things are working out better than we ever could have planned them. Please know that it is never too late to start over! Shell only went to college because of tragedy, the death of their husband, and their education is making their dreams a reality.  Some affirmation for all...

Ever looked back at your life and thought, "Damn..."? It's always something to do a reading for school (in this case, "Medicalizing the Mexican" by Natalia Molina) and see your old life staring back at you! Realizing Art's acceptance into the white side of the family was conditional on his ability to do labor for them, realizing just how misogynistic both sides of the...

We explore self-love, connection, and the systems we live within. Our wild popcorn thoughts about all this were inspired by the podcast We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, particularly the episode "Sonya Renee Taylor: What If You Loved Your Body?" This is one of many podcast episodes to come inspired by this one episode of We Can Do Hard Things ! We highly recommend listening to th...

Ace Dad Advice is back y'all! It was such a joy to talk with them! Listen in for a fabulous conversation on heteronormativity, allonormativity and amatonormativity (especially in February!), ace representation,  and their ACE BOOK! Yeah, a book written by an asexual person, for asexual people! WOOT WOOT!  Here is the link to their website with information on how to order and preorder the book...

Marked E for swearing and unbridled rage at hetero-patriarchy. Are we man-haters? No. Are we sick of men dictating our existence and posing a threat? Definitely.  Find us on Instagram with the handle @authenticallyqueerlyus As always, our theme song is "Happy Sweet Piano"  Happy listening!  Support the show

How do you define the word "queer"? Shell took an awesome class that had fascinating group discussion prompts, and with the professor's permission, we're sharing them here on our podcast too! First up: Let's examine language and its evolution! Thank you Dr. Womack for allowing us to share your questions! Find us on Instagram with the handle @authenticallyqueerlyus Our them...

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of depression and suicidal thoughts Shell was nervous about posting this one, but it's out there now! If you struggle with depression, know that you are not alone. This talks about Shell's most recent struggle, now that she's coming out of it. They authentically share what it was like, what was going through their head, and how they're feeling now on th...

Grief is a bitch, even eight years later. We've shared about Shell's grief before, but Josina has a harder time sharing about her grief... Well, Josina shares a bit here because she felt like it!  Grievers, we hear you and see you. Whether you're grieving the loss of a family member, or a past version of yourself,  are a mature or young griever... Your feelings are valid.  Find us o...

Let's examine ideas of "enough" How many of us regularly question if we are doing "enough," if we are "enough"?  We start by discussing these ideas even within the ace community. We define our own sexuality, yet there are constant standards from society and even within our own communities that make us question ourselves. Upon further examination, we realized this...

Last season we did an episode about self-care. Yeah, we still struggle with it, so here is Self-Care -- WTF 2.0! We also recap a little bit of what made our semester so freakin insane, the good and the bad parts of it! It was definitely an eventful semester, and hopefully our trials will help someone learn a little about self-care (because apparently, it's taking us a few times to get the con...

Trigger warnings: discussion of mental health, depression, suicide, gaslighting, and physical and emotional abuse. Mental Health Resources: The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/ Suicide Prevention Hotline (open 24/7, with a text option as well): 988  Mental health means something different in queer communities than it means in communities of color. Let's talk about so...

The United States of America can be a scary place to live. At the time of recording, we were thinking about recent shootings that had made it into the news. We recorded this to make a space for fear, so that anyone else feeling the way we were would know that they are not alone.  On the topic of violence, we started thinking of possible causes.  What role do you think toxic masculinity and gender...

A geology field trip AND queer theory discussion about the link between heteropatriarchy and fear? Yes, please!  This episode delves into the role of fear in upholding oppressive systems of heteronormativity. We were on a geology field trip while recording this, so be prepared for some geology nerd-out sessions too!  As noted at the end of the episode, we could not post everything we initially wan...

IT IS ACE WEEK, Y'ALL!!! Get ready for some awesome ace week discussion on why this week is so important! Also, this podcast first and foremost is about authenticity, so we have some authentic discussion about depression, mental health and self-care as well. Finally... HALLOWEEN IS ALSO THIS WEEK! We couldn't not talk about that!  The ace Instagram account we mentioned that shares a ton...

Attention students: This episode is for you! We recorded this episode after an amazing day -- we were invited to do a speaking engagement! It was exhilarating and so nice to talk with other students and give them some advice based off our own experiences. We thought we would channel that energy into a podcast episode and keep the momentum going! We share some of the same tips and advice that we sh...

Grief already sucks -- it's made more complicated when your life with grief is completely different, and the changes are... good. This episode examines the trap of heteronormativity. The death of Shell's husband and father allowed them to finally attend college, learn about patriarchy and heteronormativity, and examine who they truly are outside of the norms that have been drowning her f...

Ready for a super SUPER amazing guest? Drum roll please... We had the chance to talk with Ace Dad Advice! The guy from Instagram! Josina was only fangirling a little (okay, a lot) 😂 We got to have an amazing discussion about asexuality, the evolution of language, the split attraction model, different generational experiences with sexuality, and so much more. This was an absolute BLAST to record!...

Trigger Warning: There is mention of rape, slavery and genocide in this episode. We can't talk about classic American holidays and values without discussing those!  We recorded this on our holiday, the Fall Equinox! This holiday also coincided with the UC system's first day of school, which was... interesting. Having classes on one of our sacred holidays provides the perfect example of h...

Let's talk about body shaming and exercise. How do we care for our bodies in a loving manner while not getting sucked into the toxic, body-hating and self-punishing culture surrounding health and fitness? Let's examine the fitness industry a bit closer, and the role of capitalism in body shaming practices! Also, let's talk about representation in media and the additional role that t...