Episode 3: FreeBritney, Free Them All

Gay Shame

The toxic womanizers in power have a new reason to hate Britney Spears: Her fame is bringing attention to the evils of "conservatorship" laws.

In dystopian 2020, rich people and their politician-servants are using conservatorship - when a court takes away your self-determination and gives it to a family member or a stranger - to further criminalize disabled people, people who use substances, and/or homeless people through enhanced conservatorship - indefinitely detaining people so they are out of the line of sight of gentrifiers.

The Marys were joined by our first guest, the inimitable Gentry, aka @catpowerman5000 on Instagram.

Also featured in this episode:

• Mental Health First - if you're in Oakland, there's a new hotline you can call if you know someone is having a psychiatric emergency: 510-999-9MH1. (Mental Health First also responds to email, and direct messages on social media platforms listed on their site.)
• Gay Shame made a zine about conservatorship.
• Mad Mob (♥ Eddie + Peter J) editorial in the SF Examiner.
• "Cities Across the US are Stripping Homeless People of Their Autonomy," is a conservatorship explainer that ran in Truthout.

Recorded October 9, 2020. Transcripts and links to more info at gayshame.net/index.php/gay-shame-the-podcast/.