InterTREKtional

Hi Intertrekkies! Here's a rerun of our ode to the Borg Queen, dedicated to all you Picard-watchers out there. And don't worry, we'll have a totally fresh Q ep out to you soonsoon!      ---      Repulsive yet seductive, powerful and enigmatic, the Borg Queen is one of our favorite Star Trek villains. In preparation for Star Trek: Picard, Becca and Ryan kick off InterTREKtional Season Two with this deep look at the Borg's baddest bitch. The film Star Trek: First Contact, and Voyager episodes "Dark Frontier" (S5:E15/16) and "Unimatrix Zero" (S6:E26; S7:E:1) are discussed. Join our Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/intertrektional]   Data is restrained by a leather clad Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, the kinkiest Trek film.   What We Watched Star Trek: First Contact Memory Alpha [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_First_Contact] Voyager: Dark Frontier Memory Alpha [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Frontier_(episode)] Voyager: Unimatrix Zero Part 1 - Memory Alpha [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Unimatrix_Zero_(episode)] Part 2 - Memory Alpha [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Unimatrix_Zero,_Part_II_(episode)]   Data gives up/gives it up to Queenie without a fight   Check out the podcast "Our Opinions are Correct" Episode 39: Monstrous Women and Women who Make Monsters [https://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes/2019/7/27/episode-39-rebirth-of-anti-capitalist-stories]     Why are you so obsessed with me? - Seven   Levar Burton didn't want to wear the VISOR anymore AOL Chat interview with Ronald D. Moore [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Memory_Alpha:AOL_chats/Ronald_D._Moore/ron040.txt] via Memory Alpha   I could totally grow hair if I wanted to. -Queenie   Not that bitch, again.   Ryan suspects that blue eyes are linked to colorism, some context   The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheBluestEye] via TV Tropes  But not too black [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButNotTooBlack] via TV Tropes Innocent blue eyes [https://allthetropes.m.miraheze.org/wiki/Innocent_Blue_Eyes] via All The Tropes There can only be one woman trope Territorial Smurfette [../episode/update/id/Ryan%20suspects%20that%20blue%20eyes%20are%20linked%20to%20colorism,%20some%20context%20The%20Bluest%20Eye%20by%20Toni%20Morrison%20via%20TV%20Tropes] via TV Tropes   Ugh, where's the mall?  Harry Kim never gets promoted  "Another odd turn, in my opinion, was the non-promotion of Ensign Kim. I mean, come on people! Kim was probed, beaten, tortured and held the distinction of being the first Voyager crew member to die and come back to life. What more does a guy have to do to get promoted to Lieutenant for frak’s sake?" -Garrett Wang Straight Talk with Voyager's Garrett Wang, Part I [https://www.startrek.com/article/straight-talk-with-voyagerundefineds-garrett-wang-part-i] via StarTrek.com The Bechdel Test The Bechdel Test - Everything You Need to Know [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meq3CyuKOjM] via No Film School Find out if anything and everything passes the Bechdel test at TheBechdelTest.com  [https://bechdeltest.com/] This never gets old, apparently.   Special Effects How the Borg Queen dies in First Contact [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF3EwlvQaxQ&feature=youtu.be] via Fandango NOW Extras Watch Jonathan Frakes rave about Alice Krige as well as some cool behind the scenes footage of the Queen's head and body joining in the Making Star Trek: First Contact Documentary [https://youtu.be/W-_NNRCCo4c?t=279] via Pop Culture Pandora    Both actresses kill it as the Borg Queen, but Alice gets better lipgloss.

Uh-oh! You've just experienced a transporter accident, and now everyone around you looks the same but is acting very strange. Your midriff is exposed, and your coworkers are making aggressive sexual advances. Welcome to the (dun dun dunnn) Mirror Universe. Don't worry, Becca and Ryan are here to hold your hand, while we explore how queerness and kink are used as shorthand for EEEEVIL.   ******Mild Spoiler Alerts for: Star Trek Mirror Universe eps, The Suicide Squad, Stargate SG1, Rick and Morty (S5E5), and Netflix's Bonding.******     What We Watched More or less, all of the Mirror Universe episodes: see Memory Alpha [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mirror_universe]     Reviews!   Becca's Review: The Suicide Squad [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6334354/] - tl;dr: just don't.   Ryan's Review: Stargate SG1 [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118480/] - racist! jingoistic! fun!     Queer Villainy   Opinion: TV producers, stop portraying bisexuals as villains [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2016/11/17/tv-producers-stop-portraying-bisexuals-as-villains/] by Zachary Zane via Washington Post   Many bisexual TV characters lack a moral compass. They exploit their own sexuality as a means to get ahead. They’re also unabashedly shameless in their actions, never having an ounce of remorse. It is as if, for these fictional bisexual characters, sexual fluidity equals moral fluidity. In this regard, sexuality is not seen as an identity, but rather, as a personality trait. The tropes, as identified by GLAAD (from report WHERE WE ARE ON TV 2015-16 [https://www.glaad.org/files/GLAAD-2015-WWAT.pdf]) * bisexual characters who are depicted as untrustworthy, prone to infidelity, and/or lacking a sense of morality * characters who use sex as a means of manipulation or who are lacking the ability to form genuine relationships * associations with self-destructive behavior * and treating a character’s attraction to more than one gender as a temporary plot device that is rarely addressed again   Why Are So Many Bisexuals On TV Also Sociopaths? [https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hannahharrisgreen/killing-eve-villanelle-sandra-oh-jodi-comer-bisexual] by Hannah Harris Green via BuzzFeed.News   The Trope of the Evil Television Bisexual [https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/tvs-evil-bisexuals-still-live/412786/] by Spencer Kornhaber via The Atlantic    4 Terrible Bisexuality Tropes on TV — And 4 Portrayals That Defy Them [https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/4-terrible-bisexuality-tropes-on-tv-gillian-b/] by Gillian Brown via The Body is Not An Apology  Depraved Bisexual [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DepravedBisexual] via TVTropes     Kink Shaming   The Generational Clash at Pride Is Actually a Sign of Progress [https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/06/kink-pride-debate-lgbtq-generational-clash/619211/] by Spencer Kornhaber via The Atlantic  Bondage Is Bad [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BondageIsBad] & Sex Is Evil [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SexIsEvil] via TVTropes Painful Therefore Pleasurable - Rick and Morty [https://youtu.be/e5oERYFhS3M] (clip) via YouTube

Y'all WE DID A LIVE SHOW! [https://youtu.be/USoSg9cExJE]!! Behold Becca and Ryan discussing asylum seekers/refugees in the universes of Trek and "the real." Recorded live as part of the IDIC Podcast Festival hosted by Women at Warp [https://www.womenatwarp.com/idic-fest/] this past July 17-18, 2021. Donate to Never Again Action [https://www.neveragainaction.com/end-deportation].   Hit it.   P.S. seriously check out the other podcasts in this festival [https://www.womenatwarp.com/idic-fest/#schedule], they are LEGIT        What We Watched Sanctuary DS9 2x10 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sanctuary_(episode)]    Short Treks S1: Brightest Star [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Brightest_Star_(episode)]    Masterpiece Society TNG 5x13 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Masterpiece_Society_(episode)]    Cogenitor ENT 2x22 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Cogenitor_(episode)]    Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night DS9 6x17 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Wrongs_Darker_Than_Death_or_Night_(episode)]    Honorable Mentions    The Disease VOY 5x17 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disease_(episode)]    Generations [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_Generations]    The Sound of Thunder DIS S2E6 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sound_of_Thunder_(episode)]    Absolute Candor PIC 1x04 [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Absolute_Candor_(episode)]      References Memory Alpha - Refugee [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Refugee] Memory Alpha - Political asylum [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Political_asylum]   Migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants: What’s the difference? [https://www.rescue.org/article/migrants-asylum-seekers-refugees-and-immigrants-whats-difference] via International Rescue Committee  Currently, there are 68.5 million men, women and children escaping war, persecution and political turbulence. These are refugees and asylum seekers. There are others who are looking for jobs or an education—they are usually called migrants—and people who want to live permanently in another country—immigrants. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning…. An official entity such as a government or the United Nations Refugee Agency determines whether a person seeking international protection meets the definition of a refugee, based on well-founded fear.  An asylum seeker is someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally.   America’s asylum system is broken. Here’s how Biden could fix it. [https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22442165/biden-border-asylum-crisis-children] by Nicole Narea via Vox Since 2014, the majority of asylum seekers arriving at the US Southern Border are from  “Central America’s “Northern Triangle” — Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. For years, these countries have suffered from gang violence, government corruption, extortion, and some of the highest rates of poverty and violent crime in the world. The pandemic-related economic downturn and a pair of hurricanes late last year that devastated Honduras and Guatemala, in particular, have only exacerbated those longstanding problems. Many of the migrants arriving on the southern border, sometimes in large caravans, likely felt they had no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere — as is their right under US and international law.” Reproductive Abuse is Rampant in the Immigration Detention System [https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/reproductive-abuse-is-rampant-in-the-immigration-detention-system/] by Brigitte Amiri via ALCU ***a government-contracted doctor repeatedly performed sterilizing procedures on women in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody without their knowledge or consent.   In 2017, groups working with young immigrants discovered that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which has custody over immigrants under age 18 who come to the country without parents, had instituted a policy of blocking pregnant young people from accessing abortion care and trying to coerce them to carry pregnancies to term against their will. Numerous pregnant women detained by Border Patrol recounted being told by officers to get abortions, all while being held in crowded, unsanitary facilities with little access to food or water.   During the first two years of the Trump administration, the number of undocumented women who miscarried while in government detention nearly doubled.   More immigrant women say they were abused by Ice gynecologist [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/22/ice-gynecologist-hysterectomies-georgia] by Victoria Bekiempis via The Guardian ***“Petitioners were victims of non-consensual, medically unindicated and/or invasive gynecological procedures, including unnecessary surgical procedures under general anesthesia, performed by and/or at the direction of [gynaecologist Dr Mahendra Amin],” the petition said. “In many instances, the medically unindicated gynecological procedures Respondent Amin performed on Petitioners amounted to sexual assault.”     *** at ICE privately operated Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia. 3 asylum seekers on why they decided to flee for the US [https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/4/15/22383123/migrant-border-asylum-biden-cameroon-guatemala-cuba] via VOX

ANNOUNCEMENT! We will be podcasting LIVE at the IDIC Podcast Festival [http://www.womenatwarp.com/IDIC-fest/] hosted by Women at Warp on July 17th at 3:30pm PT // 6:30pm ET. You can watch us streaming on Women at Warp’s Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/womenatwarp/] and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmrJVtFxVMXjU6XOKwZD8_Q] pages (and we'll share the recording in our feed afterwards). We're back, with a baby this time! Congratulations and mazel tov to Ryan and her new baby 🤩 Hence, we're doing a deep dive into Trek's portrayal of pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing, through the decades.  Episodes: DS9 "The Begotten" (S5E12), VOY "Lineage" (S7E12), TNG "The Child" (S2E1), TNG "Disaster" (S5E5) Honorable Mentions: DS9 "Business as Usual (S5E18), TOS "Friday's Child" (S2E3), DS9 "...Nor the Battle to the Strong" (S5E4) Traumatic Birth Women’s descriptions of childbirth trauma relating to care provider actions and interactions [https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-1197-0] by Rachel Reed, Rachael Sharman & Christian Inglis via BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth  Moms Are Speaking Up About The Trauma Of Childbirth [https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellenoconnellwhittet/mothers-birth-trauma-pregnancy] by Ellen O'Connell Whittet via BuzzFeed News  The Messed-up History of Midwifery and Giving Birth Lying Down Doulas 101: What Is a Doula? [https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/doula/what-is-a-doula/] by Dina Roth Port via Parents   History of Midwifery [https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book-excerpts/health-article/history-of-midwifery/] by Judith P. Rooks, CNM, MPH, MS via Our Bodies Our Selves   The Witch Trials of Midwives [https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-witch-trials-of-midwives-e1ee1778568c] by Kabir via Medium   Why do women give birth lying on their backs? [https://www.goodto.com/family/expert-reveals-the-real-reason-women-lie-down-in-childbirth-9369] by Debra Waters via Good to Know   Give Parents Paid Leave Already FUUUUUUUUUCK!!!   Among 41 countries, only U.S. lacks paid parental leave [https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/16/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/] by Gretchen Livingstong and Deja Thomas via Pew Research Center   Countries Around The World Beat The U.S. On Paid Parental Leave [https://www.npr.org/2016/10/06/495839588/countries-around-the-world-beat-the-u-s-on-paid-parental-leave] by Jessica Deahl via NPR  Paid Family Leave, on the Rise, Helps Women Stay in the Workforce [https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/paid-family-leave-helps-women-stay-in-the-workforce.aspx] by Stephen Miller, CEBS via SHRM How Children Benefit from Paid Family Leave Policies [https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/how-children-benefit-from-paid-family-leave-policies/#ixzz704kYMJKU] by Tara O'Neill Hayes, Margaret Barnhorst via American Action Forum  One chart shows why more companies should invest in paid parental leave [https://www.businessinsider.com/data-great-place-to-work-maven-paid-parental-leave-benefits-2020-12] by Marguerite Ward via Business Insider  Men Should Take Parental Leave - Here's Why [https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2018/05/03/why-mandatory-parental-leave-is-good-for-business/?sh=71c139409ded] by Shelley Zalis via Forbes And Also, Let Parents Bring Their Kids to Work Occasionally Historic Senate Rules Change Allows New Parents to Bring Their Children to the Senate Floor for First Time [https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/historic-senate-rules-change-allows-new-parents-to-bring-their-children-onto-senate-floor-for-first-time] by Press Release from Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator for Illinois via duckworth.senate.gov  Cultural Differences around Sleep Training, Carrying Newborns, etc. Cultural Differences in Baby and Toddler Sleep [https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/baby-toddler-sleep-cultural-differences/] by Emily DeJeu via The Baby Sleep Site   'In Africa we carry our children so they feel loved' [https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2004/jun/18/guardianweekly.guardianweekly12] by Emily Wax via The Guardian    Is it right to train babies to sleep? [https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37765001] by Lucy Wallis and Rajeev Gupta via BBC News Is the Western way of raising kids weird? [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210222-the-unusual-ways-western-parents-raise-children] by Kelly Oakes via BBC Future  6 parenting styles from other countries we can all learn from [https://www.care.com/c/parenting-styles-around-the-world] by Kate Ward via care.com   Stress Makes Labor Take Longer, Perhaps Some Animals Can Literally Pause Their Pregnancies. Here's Why [https://www.sciencealert.com/some-animals-can-literally-pause-their-pregnancies-here-s-why] by Jane Fenelon via ScienceAlert    Fear of Childbirth Prolongs Labor [http://www.hormonesmatter.com/fear-childbirth-prolongs-labor/] by Elena Perez via Hormones Matter   Prolonged Labor: Failure To Progress [https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/prolonged-labor-9140/] via American Pregnancy Association Let Pregnant People Eat in Peace   I’m Pregnant, But I’m Not Incapable, So Quit Telling Me What To Do [https://www.scarymommy.com/dont-tell-pregnant-women-what-do/] by Sarah Cottrell via Scary Mommy What to Say to People With Opinions About Your Pregnancy [https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-to-say-to-people-with-opinions-about-your-pregnancy-4174384] by Sherri Gordon via verywellfamily  Research on Medicines and Pregnancy [https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/meds/treatingfortwo/research.html] via CDC  The moral imperative to approve pregnant women’s participation in randomized clinical trials for pregnancy and newborn complications [https://peh-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13010-019-0081-8] by Dan Kabonge Kaye via Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine  Long overlooked by science, pregnancy is finally getting attention it deserves [https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/long-overlooked-by-science-pregnancy-is-finally-getting-attention-it-deserves/2019/03/06/a29ae9bc-3556-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html] by Carolyn Y. Johnson via The Washington Post     P.S. No, abortions are NOT reversible  Facts are Important: Medication Abortion "Reversal" Is Not Supported by Science [https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/medication-abortion-reversal-is-not-supported-by-science] via The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

**************SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS********************* Welcome to 3188! Discovery Season 3 is a wild ride and we are HERE. FOR. IT. This ...month? Becca and Ryan discuss the beautiful emotional journey of Michael Burnham, with stops along the way to talk Tilly, thirst for Book, send our love to the baby enbys, and salute Georgiou. There are spoilers in this! Oh, and P.S. get your vaccine as soon as you're eligible.      What we're into right now:   The Hold Up [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hold-up/id1531355208]: friend-of-the-pod Molly Sanchez and co-host Sam DiSalvo revisit pop culture from our youth and ask the very important question, "does it hold up?" (podcast)   WandaVision: [https://www.marvel.com/tv-shows/wandavision/1] MCU's answer to classic sitcoms, with sci-fi shenanigans! Who could ask for more? (TV show)   The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal [https://maryrobinettekowal.com/faqs/lady-astronaut-novels/]: Travel to alternate-history 1952 and follow Dr. Elma York as she battles sexism in order to go to space. (book series)   Wage Stagnation is a shit deal    For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades [https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/] by Drew Desilver via Pew Research Center   State of Working America Wages 2019 [https://www.epi.org/publication/swa-wages-2019/] by Elise Gould via Economic Policy Institute   Who has to wait to be Captain?   Star Trek: Why Burnham (& Sisko) Took 3 Seasons To Become Captain [https://screenrant.com/star-trek-discovery-burnham-sisko-captain-wait/] by John Orquiola   Emotions are Integral   Why emotional intelligence is important in leadership [https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership] by Lauren Landry via Harvard Business School   People Who Cry Often Are Not Weak, But Mentally Stronger [https://www.lifehack.org/333775/8-reasons-why-people-who-cry-often-are-actually-mentally-stronger] by Madeline Neufeld via Lifehack   How Stigmatizing Male Emotional Vulnerability Has Created a Crisis for Us All [https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/masculinity-is-killing-men-the-roots-of-men-and-trauma/] by Kali Holloway via the body is not an apology   Can Clinton's Emotions Get the Best of Her? [https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4097786&page=1] by Emily Friedman via ABC News   Oh, to be Trill and Trans/Non-binary ♥   A History of Star Trek's Gender Non-Conformity [https://www.startrek.com/news/a-history-of-star-treks-gender-non-conformity] by Marlowe Mitchell via startrek.com   Star Trek: Discovery set to introduce its first non-binary and trans characters [https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/star-trek-discovery-set-to-introduce-its-first-non-binary-and-trans-characters/] by Matt Moore via Gay Times   How Transgender Star Trek Fans Came to View Jadzia Dax as Their Own [https://www.themarysue.com/jadzia-dax-transgender-star-trek-fans/] by Lauren Coates via The Mary Sue