Vulnerability, Activism, and Queer Resistance with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Author and activist Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore sits down with Shane Lukas and Mattie Bynum for a wide-ranging conversation about the personal and political forces behind their work. Mattilda shares how growing up during the AIDS crisis shaped their understanding of queer life, urgency, loss, creativity, and resistance, while also explaining how those experiences continue to inform their writing today. They explore the shortcomings of mainstream LGBTQ+ politics, the importance of preserving movement history, and the emerging resurgence of ACT UP organizing. The episode closes with a playful speed round and a powerful reflection on what Power Beyond Pride means: refusing oppressive terms and creating ways of living, loving, and caring for one another on our own terms.