Episode 4: Rep. Emily Virgin
The Perils of Internalized Misogyny
In considering the many details and life decisions that have made me who I am, it’s critical to note that I was raised in Oklahoma. Although I have not called Oklahoma home more than two decades, it is where my family and some of my dearest friends reside, and obviously what happens in Oklahoma has an effect everywhere, whether we notice it or not.
Emily Virgin has been an elected official in Oklahoma for over a decade, serving the Democratic Party, which is the Minority Party in her state. I wondered what it was like to try and look out for people who view you as the enemy, especially in a Post-Trump America, and we discussed her outlook on the responsibilities of those in power. Our conversation meandered from her own candid discussion of past mental health struggles to the sneaky ways in which my favorite nemesis The Patriarchy can sneak into even our deepest beliefs and nuzzle up with indignation.
To follow Representative Virgin, add her to your twitter feed. Click through learn more about Emily’s work in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
EPISODE NOTES: Recorded in what already feels like another world, this interview from September 2020 with Oklahoma's House Minority Leader, Emily Virgin of Norman, addresses the importance of mental health transparency and the value of compassionate leaders. We cover family values, knocking on doors as an anxious person, and get a horrific look at the harsh realities of the prison industrial complex -including the reckless endangerment of those who are unfortunately incarcerated during a politicized pandemic.
Full Episode Transcript coming soon…