Our hosts close out Season 1 of our podcast by discussing the midterm elections with Mini Timmaraju. They discuss the results, why things went that way, and what we need to do in the coming months and years to sustain our momentum and enshrine our rights. Then they talk to Dahlia Lithwick, author of "Lady Justice," about the unsung heroes of securing legal rights - and how tenuous those rights are for much of the population.

Our hosts close this episode and our first season with a bit of a change - instead of opening the show with what they're pissed about, they close it with what they're pleased about.

And above all, we're pleased to have had you with us throughout our 28 shows in season 1. Stay tuned for season 2, and remember that our Voting, Equal, and Reproductive (Yes!) are always on the ballot.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

This week, our hosts talk with two amazing guests - brothers Steve and Tom Gardner, who run a poll aggregator blog. They break down their polling methods, the snapshot of what they're seeing just days before this critical election, and speculate on what will happen in 2024.

They also talk about the hope they have for getting the citizens engaged before and on this critical Tuesday!

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/

In this episode, our hosts talk hope with Tom Bonier, CEO of TargetSmart. He’s a data scientist who studies political data, and what he saw after the Dobbs decision surprised him so much that he thought he made a mistake. But no — indeed, women are registering to vote en masse, and all indications show that they’re registering to vote to protect reproductive rights. What does this mean for the November 8th midterm elections, which are only 54 days away at the time this episode goes live? Listen and find out.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

Our hosts--Carol Jenkins, Gloria Feldt, Sherrye Henry, and Betty Spence--talk to two leaders about how to mobilize the Black vote in pursuit of a more multicultural (and more perfect) union.

Steve Phillips is a bestselling author, columnist, and national political expert, as well as the founder of Democracy in Color. Look out for his new book coming Oct. 18th, "How to Win the Civil War."

Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a wealth, health, and education equity expert, Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings has conducted extensive research and policy analysis on aging, Social Security, the social determinants of health, and the racial wealth and achievement gaps. Look out for her upcoming book: "RAGEISM: Racism, Ageism, and the Quest for Liberation Policy."

Amy Siskind kept track of Trump in real time throughout his presidency. Each week, she published list of thing after thing that he was doing that flew in the face of our democracy. Listen to her advice for preventing another autocratic candidate from taking office and how you can help Democrats win the midterm elections!

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

Sherrye, Betty, and Carol each interview an amazing guest to show just how much impact one person can have -- and that person could be you!

Nancy Thompson of Mothers Against Greg Abbott started protesting by herself with only her poster to keep her company. Now, over 50,000 members across Texas are working to get Greg Abbott out of the governor's office.

Jessica Craven started the weekday newsletter "Chop Wood, Carry Water," which provides quick, easy tasks that everyone can participate in because, as she says, "Hope is an action."

Jane Slusser is recruiting the next generation of poll workers with Power the Polls, and she lets you know what you can expect and why poll workers are so critical to powering democracy.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute discusses the state of affairs in a post-Roe world, shares facts around medication abortion, and gives her thoughts on what different sectors of society can do to help ensure reproductive rights.

Listen to our hosts talk about what equality means to them, how they got involved in politics, and share stories about their time as activists.

They invite you to join in the conversation by telling us what equality means to you and what got you involved in politics.

A'shanti Gholar, president of Emerge America, discusses how the organization working to get more women elected at all political levels. She talked about how Emerge America works, what Emerge alum are doing now, and how women all across the country can get involved.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

The hosts talk with Zakiya Thomas and Bettina Hager from the ERA Coalition about the launch of the new Elect Equality tool. This easy-to-use online tool rates candidates and elected officials based on their support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

(15:50) “[The ERA would provide] more than just the patchwork of rights that we currently have that are being eroded every day.” – Zakiya Thomas

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

Today we’ve got Georgia on our minds, where we’re talking about Georgia’s strict abortion ban, which went into effect immediately after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling on SisterSong v. Kemp, which bans abortions after six weeks in Georgia. Our hosts and guest discuss what the ACLU of Georgia is doing and what you can do to protect your own liberties in Georgia and across all 50 states.

A longtime leader in the fight for LGBTQ equality, guest Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, discusses why "it's too late for pessimism" when it comes to protecting our Voting, Equal, and Reproductive rights.

He also talks legal precedent, the dangers facing millions of Americans, and how to use your voice, your vote, your time, and your money to make positive political changes.

For more information, go to https://www.lambdalegal.org


In 2019 Kevin Jennings became the CEO of Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest legal advocacy group fighting for full legal equality for LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV.

Kevin's background is fascinating. He was the first member of his family to earn a college degree in 1985 when he graduated from Harvard (from which he received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019), and helped students create the nation’s first Gay-Straight Alliance club in 1988 while a teacher in Concord, Massachusetts.

He went on to found GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) in 1990, the first national organization dedicated to fighting anti-LGBTQ bias in K-12 schools. In 1994 Kevin was part of the committee which created LGBTQ History Month, now observed every October, and he authored Becoming Visible, the first textbook on the subject for young people.

In 1996 he helped write and produce Out of the Past, the first documentary on LGBTQ history for young people, which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary.

In 2009 Kevin became the Assistant Secretary of Education for Safe & Drug-Free Schools, where he led the Obama Administration’s national campaign against bullying in schools, earning him the nickname of being the “anti-bullying czar.”

Kevin went on from the Obama Administration to run the Arcus Foundation, the world’s largest private funder of LGBTQ rights, and the Tenement Museum, the nation’s premiere museum dedicated to the immigrant experience.

Most recently he served as an Executive Producer of the 2019 PBS documentary The Lavender Scare, which details the McCarthy-era witch hunts for LGBTQ people, and the 2020 HBO documentary Welcome to Chechnya, which documents the ongoing horrific pogrom against LGBTQ people in the Russian Republic of Chechnya and was short-listed for the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary. Kevin also holds an MA from Columbia University Teachers College (from which he received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012) and an MBA from New York University/Stern School of Business (where he now teaches as an adjunct professor) and has authored seven books.

In this episode, recorded just over a week before the election, our hosts talk with feminist icon Gloria Steinem about her feelings on the Dobbs decision, how we have to get out the vote, and why people sometimes vote against their own interest. Jamia Wilson, named in Refinery29’s “17 Faces of the Future of Feminism," talks about her hope for what is coming and how to keep doing the work.

Wow! The impressive leader of the NDRC - Kelly Ward Burton talks with LLisVP hosts about what it's like to be President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). Together with her boss former Attorney General Eric Holder, Kelly is PISSED about redistricting and has chosen to do something about it!! She lays out a comprehensive redistricting plan to achieve fair maps. Listen to this podcast and find out how you can and have to get involved!

Prior to NDRC, Kelly served four years as the Executive Director of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and previously as the DCCC’s Political Director and Director of Incumbent Protection.

Learn more by going to https://democraticredistricting.com or ladylibertyisverypissed.com

The hosts discuss what life was like before Roe vs. Wade came into law and have a conversation with the directors of the HBO Max documentary "The Janes," Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes. In the pre-Roe v. Wade era, female activists calling themselves 'Jane' built an underground network for women with unwanted pregnancies and provide low-cost and free illegal abortions to an estimated 11,000 women.
The Lady Liberty is V.E.R.Y. Pissed! hosts also chat with Connecticut State Representative Maria Horn about what life will look like post-Roe and what some states, including Connecticut, are doing to become safe havens for abortion access.

Black women in America: Voting—and Running—What does that mean for the upcoming midterms?

Today we are talking about the Black women of America and their place in the nexus of Voting, Reproductive and Equal Rights. As you may know that’s what the VERY in our podcast name refers to—V for voting, E for Equal, R for Reproductive…and the Y for Yes, that’s why we’re pissed: all of these rights are endangered—but we’re fighting back and we want you to join us in this year when our very democracy seems imperiled.

Glynda Carr, the co-founder and president of Higher Heights for America and hashtag Black Women Lead (#blackwomenlead) is our guest today. As we know from the 2020 election, it was the powerful organizing of Black women in places like Georgia that not only propelled the Biden/Harris ticket to success, but also delivered the Unites States Senate, with the election of 2 Democratic Senators in that state. But have Black women of America benefited from their heroic efforts—and will they do it all again in 2022--and 2024?

We talk with Glynda Carr of Higher Heights—to identify, support and endorse Black women running at every level of political office in the country. And we examine the prospects of the Black woman vote.

https://www.higherheightsforamericapac.org/who-we-are/glynda-c-carr/
https://www.ladylibertyisverypissed.com

This riveting, informative interview with guest #VOTEPROCHOICE leader Heidi Sieck is a MUST podcast listen. Heidi L. Sieck is Co-founder/Chief Empowerment Officer of #VOTEPROCHOICE a national political engagement platform connecting prochoice voters with prochoice champions in critical elections.

Heidi sounds the alarm that we need to organize where the anti-choice minority is organizing. There are 180,000 races across the country this mid-term elections! And she’ll tell us how VOTEPROCHOICE provides resources to candidates and connects voters to critical election resources in their state. Heidi Sieck is an award winning civic entrepreneur serving as founding Chief Operating Officer of Civic Hall and Democracy.com in New York City, and formerly Chief Operating Officer of Rock the Vote. She’s worked on six presidential campaigns and countless state and location races in nearly every campaign role.

Stop and Listen to Heidi's Sieck's message (and share with a friend). You'll be so glad you did.

Our hosts talk to Jevin Hodge, who is running for office in Arizona's 6th District against incumbent Republican David Schweikert. After losing his first political race by an incredibly narrow margin, Jevin was inspired to challenge the incumbent in his district. As a young Black man in Arizona, Jevin discusses what he's seeing on the ground in terms of support and how to get young voters involved.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

The cohosts speak with activist extraordinaire Melanie Campbell about her work with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, how voting, equal, and reproductive rights are intertwined, the unique state of the world today, and strategies for getting out the vote and making sure you’re represented at the polls!

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)

Mini Timmaraju (she/her) has a wealth of governmental and political experience at the state and federal level. Most recently, Mini served as Senior Advisor to the Director at the Office of Personnel Management in the Biden-Harris Administration, where she advised the OPM Director and agency leadership on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policy, strategy, and best practices.

The hosts of the LadyLiberty is V.E.R.Y. Pissed podcast interview the NARAL president exactly what she is pissed about! As head of NARAL, Mini believes freedom is for everyone, including reproductive freedom. Without the freedom to control our own lives, bodies, and futures, meaningful equality will remain out of reach.

Poll after poll has shown that 7 in 10 Americans support access to abortion and believe that any decision about pregnancy should be made by that person with those they love and trust—not by politicians.

Securing our reproductive freedom means expanding access to abortion and affordable contraception, protecting pregnant people from workplace discrimination and supporting working parents by guaranteeing paid family leave.

NARAL organizes in neighborhoods, communities, cities, and states, galvanizing millions of people to take action to defend reproductive freedom in the face of unprecedented attacks.

Intro and outro music provided by BETTY from their 2017 single, "Rise." See more about them at www.hellobetty.com.

Our hosts interview esteemed congresswoman from NYC Carolyn B. Maloney. Representative Maloney has been fighting the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment since winning her seat in Congress in 1992. She tells our audience that she is just as pissed (if not more pissed) as Lady Liberty herself about U.S. women losing their rights. A progressive national leader with extensive accomplishments on financial services, national security, the economy, and women’s issues, she is currently Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and former Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, the first woman to hold both of these positions.

Rep. Maloney’s career has been a series of firsts. She is the first woman to represent New York City’s 7th Councilmanic district (where she was the first woman to give birth while in office); and was the first woman to Chair the Joint Economic Committee, a House and Senate panel that examines and addresses the nation’s most pressing economic issues. Only 18 women in history have chaired Congressional committees. Maloney is the author of Rumors of our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: Why Women’s Lives Aren’t Getting any Easier and how we can Make Real Progress for Ourselves and Our Daughters, which has been used as a textbook in women’s studies courses.

Listen now to the Lady Liberty is V.E.R.Y. Pissed podcast, and let us know what you're majorly pissed about when it comes to women's rights! Go to ladylibertyisverypissed.com

Panelists discuss why they are pissed off about women losing their rights in America.
Gloria Feldt is co-founder and president of Take The Lead and former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of America
Sherrye Henry is the former head of the Women’s Business Ownership Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration
Carol Jenkins is an advocate for human, civil and women’s rights, and award-winning author and Emmy-winning former television journalist
Betty Spence is an advocate for women’s advancement in the private and public sectors and an expert on women in leadership.

Intro and outro music provided by BETTY from their 2017 single, "Rise." See more about them at www.hellobetty.com.

In this episode, our hosts talk with a global leader on women’s reproductive issues, Dr. Jeanne Conry, OB-GYN. She has worked nationally and internationally to secure reproductive health rights and talks about what we’ve lost since the Dobbs decision and how physicians can stand up for their patients.

Then the hosts recap eight activist organizations that we’ve had on the show. Each of these organizations has tools and ways you can get involved in the midterm elections, even though we have just under two weeks to go!

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

Our hosts talk with two amazing guests, starting with Kathy Spillar of ****Ms.**** Magazine and the Feminist Majority Foundation. They discuss findings of recent polls that show young people are motivated by abortion rights in the battleground states where those races will make huge differences at the federal and state levels. Then our hosts talk to Laphonza Butler, president of EMILY’s List, where they discuss the philosophy of getting women involved in politics and give suggestions for key races that need your help as we round the last corner towards election day.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty | www.hellobetty.com
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder | www.alyoder.com
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

In this episode, the hosts talk with Kelley Robinson of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She breaks down the two arms of Planned Parenthood - the national network of health care providers and the Action Fund, which is focused on influencing politics and policy. Find out how to get involved with Take Control, their $50 million midterm election initiative.

The hosts also talk with Maxim Thorne, CEO of Civic Influencers. They focus on building movements with the youth vote on "tipping point" campuses across the country. They will build movements for 2022, 2024, and beyond.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

The hosts talk to Janet Napolitano, who has spent her life in public service. With positions throughout government, she gives a high-level view of the country right now and what she sees as the path forward.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

Our guests are joined by Melissa Walker, whose career path shifted from publishing to politics after she attended an event with NY State Senator Daniel Squadron. She saw the importance of state legislatures and how decisions made in state capitals ripple outward and impact all of us. Hear how this happens and what you can do about it!

In this episode, our hosts talk with Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Dr. Jason Martin, who was compelled to run for governor after seeing firsthand the mismanagement of medical issues that became politicized, like abortion and COVID-19. Then, we get an update on the Equal Rights Amendment from attorney Linda Coberly.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)
All episodes are produced by Amy Yoder (www.alyoder.com)
Additional support provided by Cary and Logan at Broussard Global.

In this episode, our hosts talk with Elizabeth Hines and Ruby Sales. The group discusses Elizabeth's upcoming anthology, "Aftermath: Life in Post-Roe America." Ruby Sales shares her abortion story and what bodily autonomy means today, especially for Black women. Elizabeth Hines talks about how the book came to be and what you can do as an individual and a listener.

All episodes begin and end with the 2017 single “Rise” by rock group Betty (www.hellobetty.com)