Podcast 20: Against Equality with Yasmin Nair (Part 1)

Since 2009, the radical queer publishing collective Against Equality has published an impressive and incisive collection of writings that challenge the politics of inclusion in favour of queer revolution. Whether it is challenging the conservatism of gay marriage, the imperialism that is overlooked in calls for LGBT inclusion in the military, or the way calls for tougher hate crime legislation can strengthen institutions like the police and prisons. In this session we were joined by one of Against Equality‘s co-founders Yasmin Nair. She is a writer, activist and academic.  Her work has appeared in publications like The Baffler, In These Times, Vox, and Electronic Intifada as well as in several anthologies including Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, False Choices: The Faux Feminism of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Queer and Trans Migrations: Dynamics of Detention, Deportation, and Illegalization. She is currently working on a book entitled  Strange Love: How Social Justice Was Invented, and Why It Needs to Die.

During this session we discussed Yasmin’s work and how it relates to a plethora of cultural themes and political issues that seem increasingly prevalent in a period of political turbulence and social upheaval. We discussed topics ranging from social media to renewed calls for police and prison abolitionism, and explored what radical activism might mean in a post-covid world. Part one of this session discusses the Against Equality project, hashtags and BLM. Part two will follow soon and discuss class, polyamory and love.

This session was recorded on 30th June 2020 as part of the Exploding Appendix Avant-garde Art Practice and Research Group. Follow the link to see our events and maybe join one.

Further Reading

Against Equality: Queer Revolution not mere inclusion. Edited by Ryan Conrad (AK Press. 2014) 

Yasmin’s Site: http://yasminnair.com/

Against Equality’s site: www.againstequality.org

Yasmin Nair, A Manifesto. (Evergreen Review) 

Yasmin Nair, Riding the Hashtag. (Current Affairs) 

Yasmin Nair, So long and Thanks for Nothing (Evergreen Review) 

Yasmin Nair: Her Name was Norma. (YasminNair.com)

Erica X Eisen, Extinction Rebellion has a Politics Problem  (Current Affairs)