The Island of Discarded Women is a live podcast hosted by radio veteran, Sue Scott recorded at Crooner’s. It’s a place where women lift each other up and tell stories of the amazing things they are doing – whether that’s raising an infant or getting the Minnesota Legislature to support a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. It’s a celebration of all that we do – the ordinary and extraordinary.
Thursday night (Dec 7), guests featured Senator Mary Kunesh and singer songwriter Jaspar Lepak, who we interviewed in 2021. Also invited to the room was ERA Minnesota; I was lucky enough to be volunteering to help get people excited to push for the Equal Right Amendment. The ERA was a connecting tissue between the two guests. Senator Kunesh was an author of the ERA bill in Minnesota both in the House (when she was a Representative) and in the Senate. In fact, she got the bill passed in both, as she explains in the video below.
Jaspar Lepak, who always writes thoughtful music, worked with Sue Scott on the Ballad of the ERA. She said they looked at the history (100 years in the making!) and tried to hit the highlights, including some very local stars. I don’t want to spoil the surprise when the podcast is published but here’s a sneak peek.
There’s a hometown team of IODW performers too. Last night that cast included Shanan Custer, Dae Yang (Dexieng,) Silvia Pontaza and Zippy Laske. They play music, tell stories and act in skits. The do a great job spotlighting little things in their lives in a way that makes their lives bigger. It’s good modeling. It’s a reminder that we all have stories to tell, we all have a role to play, we all live bigger lives than we think we do.
The night left me charged to lift up another woman (or gender expansive person – really all people) and work hard to get the ERA on the ballot for 2024 so that the rest of the world will recognize our full worth as well!
Mostly Minnesota 