The HBS co-hosts learn why it's not just about pronouns.

[This episode originally aired in November 2023.]

In recent years, society has witnessed a seismic significant shift in our understanding of gender. For some, the binary notion of gender, once seen as immutable and fixed, has given way to a more inclusive and fluid understanding of identity… a transformation that has brought to the forefront the lived experiences of transgender individuals, who have long grappled with issues of self-identity, societal acceptance, and the philosophical underpinnings of gender itself.

For others, the emergence of trans issues and trans people has motivated a passionate and often violent kind of re-entrenchment. The refusal of trans recognition and trans rights, for those on the political right, is not just a matter of attitudinal disposition or theory, but actual legislation.

Transgender individuals often find themselves at the intersection of various philosophical disciplines, from ethics to epistemology and metaphysics. Questions about the moral obligations society owes to its transgender members, the authenticity of one's gender identity, and the implications of gender fluidity for our understanding of reality are just a few areas in which trans philosophers have made important contributions in the past several decades. Philosophy can also be blamed—or credited, depending on one’s views—with the rise and influence of trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs, whose rhetoric and views sharply divides not only philosophy Twitter, but the discipline itself.

But discussions about trans philosophy extends beyond academia into the realm of social justice and activism. Trans issues encompass a wide range of concerns, including healthcare access, legal recognition, and the protection of civil and human rights. These practical considerations are deeply rooted in philosophical discussions not only about sex and gender, but also about fairness, equality, and the social contract, adding an urgent and concrete dimension to the work of people like our guest today, Talia Mae Bettcher (California State University, Los Angeles), author of the 2019 essay "What is Trans Philosophy?".

Full episode notes at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-117-trans-philosophy-with-talia-mae-bettcher

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Who, if anyone, is speaking truth to power these days?

In the Season 12 finale of Hotel Bar Sessions, we take a deep dive into Michel Foucault’s late lectures on parrhesia, the ancient Greek concept of "fearless speech." But don’t be fooled—this isn’t a dusty historical exercise. With campuses erupting in protest, free speech weaponized by the powerful, and truth-tellers increasingly under threat, parrhesia has never felt more urgent. What does it mean to speak truth to power today—and who is still brave enough to do it?

The HBS co-hosts unpack Foucault’s insights with characteristic wit and depth, drawing connections from Socrates to student protestors, from trans youth testifying in state legislatures to comedians canceled by the White House Correspondents’ Association. Is free speech still possible in a fractured political landscape? Can parrhesia survive in an age of rhetorical manipulation and moral cowardice? And what’s the difference between being “canceled” and actually being in danger?

This episode doesn’t just explain Foucault's concept of parrhesia—it performs it. If you’ve ever wondered whether truth-telling still matters in a time of disinformation, performative politics, and rising authoritarianism, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Tune in for our Season 12 send-off, and stick around to find out who we believe the real parrhesiastes are today.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-177-totalitarianism-with-peg-birmingham

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If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Can democracy be saved from totalitarianism?

In this episode, the co-hosts are joined by political theorist Dr. Peg Birmingham (DePaul University) for an urgent discussion on the topic of totalitarianism. Starting with a critique of what counts as “the people” in democratic systems, our conversation unpacks the entanglement of nationalism and racism, the dangerous erosion of the rule of law, and the troubling resurgence of executive overreach in the United States.

Drawing from theorists like Hannah Arendt and Carl Schmitt, we unpack how nationalistic democracies easily pivot toward authoritarian structures—and why naming, resisting, and reimagining democracy remains critical in this moment of global precarity.

We also detail the signs of creeping totalitarianism, including terror tactics, de-nationalization, and the centralization of political power, while also reflecting on possibilities for resistance. What can be salvaged from democracy when the demos itself is fractured? What role can listening, ridicule, and justice-oriented solidarity play in resisting fascist creep?

Birmingham emphasizes the need for collective action rooted in material justice and care for the most vulnerable, while co-hosts Leigh, Rick, and Devonya wrestle with how to reignite meaningful political opposition and build new coalitions of resistance. This powerful conversation challenges listeners to reckon with our political present and what might still be possible within it.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-177-totalitarianism-with-peg-birmingham

-------------------
If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Carlos Amador on Latin American aesthetics, precarity, and what it means to be completely f*cked.

In this episode, the HBS crew welcomes Carlos Amador—Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of Romance Languages and Literature at the University at Buffalo SUNY—for a raw and wide-ranging conversation about lo jodido: the aesthetic, political, and material condition of being well and truly fucked. Drawing on Latin American literature and film, Amador introduces lo jodido not just as a descriptor for individual suffering, but as a cross-cultural, translatable, and recognizable structure of feeling rooted in precarity, immobility, and disillusionment with liberal democratic promises. Alongside lo jodido, he introduces two other categories—el roto and lo huachafo—to map a terrain of contemporary exhaustion and survival.

Drawing on Frantz Fanon's articulation of "the wretched of the earth," we dig into how "the fucked" functions not merely as a subject position, but also a way of seeing, feeling, and naming what seems unlivable. Topics include cruel optimism, abjection, the cultural logic of fascism, and whether political possibility requires hope at all. In the end, we ask: what does it mean to live with no outside to capital? And can the category of the fucked help us understand not only where we are, but what might still be possible?

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-178-el-roto-lo-huachafo-lo-jodido-with-carlos-amador

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If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

This week, we're pulling up a seat at the intersection of faith, governance, and democracy as we take on the Establishment Clause—that little First Amendment provision that’s supposed to keep church and state in their own lanes. But is that how it’s really playing out?

Leigh, Rick, and Devonya dig into the history and contemporary implications of the separation of church and state, from school prayer to Supreme Court decisions, faith-based government offices, and religious encroachments on reproductive rights. We tackle the tension between private belief and public reason, the way religious institutions have both challenged and reinforced state power, and whether the U.S. is creeping toward a civic religion of its own.

Along the way, we take detours through Southern Bible Belt culture, the moral status of fetuses, and even a surprise debate over whether capybaras are too cute to eat. (Spoiler: they are.)

As always, we’re serving up straight shots of wisdom, no divine intervention required.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-175-the-establishment-clause

-------------------
If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Who's afraid of DEI? And why?

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives have become institutional mainstays in corporate and academic settings—but they are currently under attack. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Leigh and Devonya sit down with Freedom Rider and retired Associate Professor of History at Boston College, Paul Breines, to reflect on the evolution of social justice movements from the civil rights struggles of the 1960s to today’s embattled DEIA programs. How did a radical movement for racial justice morph into bureaucratic diversity training? And how should we understand the backlash against DEIA as part of a longer history of reactionary politics?

Is what we're seeing in today’s political climate a Second Reconstruction or a Second Redemption? The hosts discuss the ideological shifts that have transformed how both the left and right frame issues of race, gender, sexuality, ability, and inclusion—asking whether the language of justice has been co-opted by those seeking to dismantle it. From the Freedom Rides to contemporary campus activism, we dig into what has changed, what remains the same, and whether today’s movements need a more radical edge.

What kind of activism does this moment demand?

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-175-dei-then-and-now-with-paul-breines

-------------------
If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

When does decorum keep us civil-- and when does it keep us silent?

From courtroom etiquette to the Oval Office, from department meetings to NFL sidelines, decorum shapes our public interactions—but who gets to decide what counts as “proper” behavior? In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya take on the contested role of decorum in social and political life. Is it a necessary lubricant for peaceful coexistence, or a tool for policing and silencing dissent?

The hosts explore decorum’s history, its role in institutions like Congress and the courts, and its power to both reinforce and resist social hierarchies. From Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest to Zelensky’s wartime wardrobe, the conversation turns to moments when violating expectations becomes an act of defiance. Does focusing on breaches of decorum distract from deeper moral and political failures? And if we abandon the language of decorum, what do we lose—or gain?

With their signature mix of philosophical insight and barroom banter, the hosts wrestle with the real stakes of politeness, propriety, and protest.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-174-decorum

-------------------
If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!

Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!