Workers' Lit

There’s a war on LGBTQ+ Rights in the US. The sooner we treat it as such the better.The Workers are joined today by Pigeon of “2 Whits, 1 Cup,” an exvangelical, queer podcast about the evangelical radio drama, “Adventures in Odyssey” to discuss the Trump Administration—and every other powerful institution’s—increased aggression towards the queer community. Topics include the Department of Justice’s new prison rules, S 1071, the betrayal of the Democratic Party, TPUSA and other anti-trans vigilante orgs, digital mass surveillance, the Arlington retreat, and how when we fight, we win!Check out Jacob’s episode with 2 Whits, 1 Cup here!Articles cited in this episode:https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5630490/prison-doj-safety-memo-changes-trans-lgbtq-inmateshttps://fdt.beehiiv.com/p/a-bill-to-disinter-a-serial-killer-from-a-military-cemetery-psyche-it-s-now-an-omnibus-appropriationhttps://zeteo.com/p/social-media-children-ban-australia-ushttps://www.techpolicy.press/age-verification-is-locking-trans-people-out-of-the-internet/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/11/meta-shuts-down-global-accounts-linked-to-abortion-advice-and-queer-contenthttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/trans-inmates-win-right-to-gender-affirming-care-as-judge-calls-it-a-serious-medical-need/

Them doors are about to get real bright.It's time to hop into Vajra Chandrasekera's crazy 2023 fantasy novel, "The Saint of Bright Doors."We've got revolution, we've got being bisexual, we've got family trauma, we've got cults, we've got it ALL with this book!!

So…bad news. Pretty much all American institutions are imploding into their most idiotic possible forms. However, since that includes journalism, you’ll probably hear elsewhere that this is good news. Go figure.This week, the workers are joined by Nelson from the “What’s Left of The South” podcast to talk about the attempts of different mega-corporations to take over Warner Bros, the ascendence of the Unitary Executive Theory of Government, the Texas senate race, and Indigenous people fighting back against colonialism and climate change.What’s Left of the South is a great podcast about southern working class history. Check it out here!Articles quoted in today’s episode:https://zeteo.com/p/the-maga-moguls-media-takeoverhttps://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/08/supreme-court-slaughter-trump-firings-00681078https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/900-acres-bordering-yosemite-returned-to-tribe-that-was-expelled-175-years-ago/And of course, check out the Costco Guys’ new hit Christmas song

Nuclear war kinda sucks.We are joined by returning guest and apocalypse-understander Brian Alford of The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to discuss Nevil Shute's 1957 end-of-the-world novel, "On The Beach."What if the world was ending, but we were in Australia and being real polite about it? Have you been wondering what that'd be like? We know you have, so listen on!Listen to Brian's fantastic podcast, ⁠The Worst of All Possible Worlds⁠

It's a bonus author interview!We're joined by author, public theologian, and all-around cool guy Brian Recker to talk about his new book, "Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love"If you were raised evangelical, this one will hit hard, but even if you weren't, this is a great discussion (and book!) about the politics of hell, liberatory (and anti-liberatory) forms of Christianity, and the way a fear of divine punishment hangs over our society...and how we all deserve to escape that fear.Buy a copy of Hell Bent here!