This week on All Ears it’s the second part of our two-part interview with journalist and activist Imara Jones. Abby and Imara talk in-depth about “The Anti-Trans Hate Machine”, a fantastic 4-part podcast by Imara and TransLash Media. It’s an investigative series that looks into the political activities of powerful far-right wing Christians to advocate for and help create laws that discriminate against trans people. One of the most influential people in this sphere of influence is former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whose family has reportedly donated over $200 million to Republicans and Republican causes. Imara walks Abby through the agenda of Dominionism, a theology that seeks to elect and install a Christian nationalist government based on biblical law. Sharing audio and details of her reporting, Imara paints a dramatic portrait of a coordinated, well-funded effort to influence democratic institutions by using anti-trans legislation as a cultural wedge. You won’t want to miss this one.
Last week in part one Imara and Abby covered the Netflix/Dave Chappelle controversy. Please take a listen if you haven’t had the chance!
Special Guest
Imara Jones (Part 2)
Journalist, Activist, Creator of TransLash Media
Imara, whose work has won Emmy and Peabody Awards, is the creator of TransLash Media, a cross-platform journalism, personal storytelling, and narrative project, which produces content to shift the current culture of hostility towards transgender people in the US. As part of work at TransLash, Imara hosts the WEBBY-nominated, TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones. In 2020 Imara was featured on the cover of Time Magazine as part of its New American Revolution special edition. In 2019 she chaired the first-ever UN High-Level Meeting on Gender Diversity with over 600 participants. Imara’s work as a host, on-air news analyst, and writer focuses on the full range of social justice and equity issues. Imara was also the first Journalist-in-Residence at WNYC’s The Greene Space where she hosted the monthly program Lives At Stake. Imara has been featured regularly in The Guardian, The Nation, MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, Mic, Colorlines, and is a frequent guest host of the In The Thick podcast. Imara has held economic policy posts in the Clinton White House and communications positions at Viacom. Imara holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Columbia. Imara is a 2019 Soros Equality Fellow and on the board of the Anti-violence Project, GLSEN, and the LGBTQ+ Museum. She goes by the pronouns she/her.