KFAI's MinneCulture – Details, episodes & analysis

In the 1970s, lesbian and feminist organizations popped up in cities across the nation. Minneapolis and Saint Paul were no exception. Here in the Twin Cities, the Amazon Feminist Book Store, Lesbian Resource Center, and Lesbian Feminist Organizing Committee all provided space and community for newly out lesbians and queer women.

At the same time, a small network of transgender women started their own type of organizing, one that relied more on mutual support than a physical meeting place.

But these groups weren’t mutually exclusive. In the late 1970s, a trans woman named Sissy Potter tried to join a lesbian feminist group called A Woman’s Coffee House. She’s probably not the only one, either. On the season 8 finale of MinneCulture from producer Kira Schukar, Sissy’s letter sparks a conversation about feminism, gender, and transfeminism in the Twin Cities and beyond.

Content warning: This podcast contains a transphobic slur and comments.

MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage fFund.

Music from Blue Dot Sessions:

Silver Lanyard by Bitters

Borough by Molerider

Two Pound by Muffuletta

Eggs and Powder by Muffaletta

Dowdy by Muffaletta

True Shape by Muffaletta

Sources:

“2023 Anti-Trans Legislation.” Trans Legislation Tracker, https://translegislation.com/bills/2023. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

2023 State Equality Index: A Review of State Legislation Affecting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Community and a Look Ahead in 2024. Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2024, https://reports.hrc.org/2023-state-equality-index?_ga=2.7211186.1288380725.1706647812-211073266.1705959553.

Enke, Finn. “Collective Memory and the Transfeminist 1970s: Toward a Less Plausible History.” TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1, Feb. 2018, pp. 9–29.

---. Finding the Movement: Sexuality, Contested Space, and Feminist Activism. Duke University Press, 2007.

---. “Smuggling Sex through the Gates: Race, Sexuality, and the Politics of Space in Second Wave Feminism.” American Quarterly, vol. 55, no. 4, Dec. 2003, pp. 635–67.

Franklin, Michael David, et al., editors. Queer Twin Cities. University of Minnesota Press, 2010.

Grossman, Mary Ann. “Pioneering True Colors Feminist Bookstore Expected to Close in February.” Twin Cities Pioneer Press, 27 Dec. 2011, https://www.twincities.com/2011/12/27/pioneering-true-colors-feminist-bookstore-expected-to-close-in-february/.

McNaron, Toni. “About Toni.” Toni McNaron, https://tonimcnaron.com/about/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Van Cleve, Stewart. Land of 10,000 Loves: A History of Queer Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, 2012.

Whitaker, Jan. “‘Way Out’ Coffeehouses.” Restaurant-Ing Through History, 28 Sept. 2009, https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2009/09/28/way-out-coffeehouses/.

Take a dive into comedic history in this story about the beginnings of the Brave New Workshop. The Brave New Workshop was founded by a former circus former named Dudley Riggs. In the mid 20th century, a new kind of humor was taking the world by storm, and Riggs tapped into the zeitgeist of improvisation that had no limits. KFAI's Sheila Regan weaves together the voices of past and present company members, archival audio, and an interview with Riggs himself in this celebration of comedy that speaks to its time.

MinneCulture is hosted by John Gebretatose and edited by Julie Censullo. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

The history of the Animal Humane Society offers a jaw-dropping glimpse into Minneapolis life in the late 1800s. This was a time when horses struggled to pull loads up Lowry Hill and dogs at the pound were drowned in the Mississippi River. As part of a national movement, the humane society formed to prosecute cruelty to animals — and they prosecuted cruelty to children too. Investigating hundreds of cases, humane agents became the state’s first social workers and probation officers. This story traces Minnesota’s relationship to animals, from the workhorse era to the pandemic-puppy era. Produced by Michelle Bruch.

Season 7 of the MinneCulture podcast is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Historic photos courtesy of the Animal Humane Society; Music “Lissa” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).

In the late 1800’s, European immigrants — mostly German and Scandinavian — flooded Minnesota, and the population boomed like few other times in history. This new majority of people in a new land needed myths and stories to fill in the blanks about why and how they came here. Like the story of Kensington Runestone. A purportedly 'discovered' rune stone that proved that Nordic expires made it to Minnesota in the year 1362.

In this episode, reporter Matthew Schneeman dives into the connection between the stone and Minnesota's white population, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of folk archeology.

Music from "Runestone! A Rock Musical": https://garyrue.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-runestone-a-rock-musical

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Season 7 of MinneCulture is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose. For more information about KFAI's MinneCulture, check out kfai.org/minneculture.

With its haunting call, distinctive black and white plumage, and intense, almost otherworldly red eyes, the Common Loon is an icon of northern Minnesota wilderness.

But some researchers believe future generations of the beloved bird in this region may be in jeopardy.A recent study in Wisconsin showed some worrying trends. Chicks are getting smaller, their survival rates are lower, and loons that migrate as juveniles are returning to their birthplace at low rates.

Now, there’s a concentrated research effort by the National Loon Center in Minnesota to find out whether the same declines are present there. Reporter Emily Haavik spoke with bird-lovers and scientists about their efforts to study and protect the Common Loon.

Support for MinneCulture has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. Season 7 of the MinneCulture podcast is edited and executive produced by Julie Censullo and hosted by John Gebretatose. For more information about MinneCulture, check out kfai.org/minneculture.