Episodes

  • Strange Bedfellows Part III: Backlash

    Strange Bedfellows Part III: Backlash
    Apr 2 2026
    The final chapter of Reflector’s tour of LGBTQ activism examines some of the controversies currently roiling society—starting with a look at one of the most contentious subjects in American history: sex education. With interviews with some of the minds behind the National Sex Education Standards, reporter Ben Kawaller offers a rare look into the philosophical underpinnings of the new ideas about sex and gender that have taken root throughout American society, what they reveal about the tensions between “gay” and “queer,” and what they might spell for the future of the movement—and for America. THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dr. Eva Goldfarb – Professor of Public Health at Montclair State University.Madelaine Adelman – Justice Studies professor at Arizona State University and former GLSEN board member.Alison Macklin – Policy and advocacy director at Sex Ed for Social Change (SIECUS).Jennifer Finney Boylan – Transgender author, former president of PEN America and former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.Ben Appel – Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Dana Beyer – Early transgender advocate.Herndon Graddick – Former president of GLAAD.Lorri Jean – Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. LINKS:Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Ed by Jonathan Zimmerman The National Sex Education Standards Rights, Respect, Responsibility: A K–12 Sex Education Curriculum CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews. Music for this episode was composed by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠⁠ Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with assistance from ChatGPT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Strange Bedfellows Part II: The Q

    Strange Bedfellows Part II: The Q
    Mar 26 2026
    You can hear Part 3 of this series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting us ⁠here Part two of Reflector’s dive into the LGBTQ+ movement picks up with the arrival of the Qs…and all that came after. Featuring interviews with prominent trans advocates and former leaders of major LGBTQ groups, episode 2 reveals the philosophical differences lurking beneath the surface within this alliance of non-conformists. With his usual immunity from embarrassment, Ben Kawaller explores how a movement for civil rights became a project to shape society’s understanding of sex and gender. THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dana Beyer – Early transgender rights advocate.Dr. Susan Stryker – Professor Emerita of Gender and Women’s Studies at Arizona State University.Lorri Jean – Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.Herndon Graddick – Former president of GLAAD.Ben Appel – Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Jennifer Finney Boylan – Transgender author, former president of PEN America and former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.Leor Sapir – Journalist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.Matthew McMurrow – Gay activist and adviser to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. LINKS:When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T. Anderson Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic by Ben Appel The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism by J. Michael Bailey Cleavage: Men, Woman, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger Crossing: A Memoir by Deirdre Nansen McCloskey The End of the Gay Rights Revolution: How Hubris and Overreach Threaten Gay Freedom by Ronan McCrea Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia by Gareth Roberts TRANS/GRESSIVE: How Transgender Activists Took on Gay Rights, Feminism, the Media & Congress… and Won! by Riki WilchinsGLAAD Media Reference Guide: Glossary of Terms CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews. Music for this episode was composed by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠⁠ Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Strange Bedfellows Part I: When LGB met T

    Strange Bedfellows Part I: When LGB met T
    Mar 20 2026
    You can hear Part 2 and 3 of this series right now when you become a Longview subscriber by visiting us here Reflector goes gay with a three-part look at the movement known as LGBTQ. Episode one looks at how homosexuals went from being social outcasts in post-war America to the 21st century’s most successful civil rights story and what happened when transgender activists started getting in on the action. With humility, humor, and an almost compulsive lack of piety, reporter Ben Kawaller explores the origin story of one of the most polarizing abbreviations of the modern age, telling the story of how gays and lesbians became LGBT. THIS EPISODE FEATURES:Dana Beyer – Early transgender rights advocate.Herndon Graddick – Former president of GLAAD.Lorri Jean – Former CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.Ben Appel – Journalist and author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic.Jamison Green – Early transgender rights advocate. LINKS:⁠ The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America⁠ by Charles Kaiser⁠Beyond Queer: Challenging Left Orthodoxy⁠, Ed. Bruce Bawer⁠Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington⁠ by James Kirchick⁠How to Survive a Plague⁠ by David France CREDITS:This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Ben Kawaller, Simon Adler, Ethan Mannello, and Seth Temple Andrews. Music for this episode was composed by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠⁠ Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Paid Protesters

    Paid Protesters
    Mar 3 2026
    From abolitionists to the Tea Party, accusations of “paid protesters” have shadowed American political movements for centuries. But what if the reality is more nuanced (and more interesting) than the talking points suggest? In this episode, Andy Mills sits down with Adam Swart, founder and CEO of Crowds on Demand, a company that quite literally pays people to demonstrate. Swart pulls back the curtain on an industry most people encounter only as a conspiracy theory, explaining how his business actually works. As you’ll hear, Swart makes his provocative case that the “astroturf vs. grassroots” debate is a juvenile distraction. He believes that most major movements, left or right, have big money behind them, and that his company is simply one of the more transparent players in the influence game. We’d love to hear if (and how) this interview shapes your thinking around the debate. Leave us a comment or send us an email: hello@longview.report CREDITS: This episode was produced by Andy Mills, Ethan Mannello and Matthew Boll Music for this episode was composed by ⁠⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Peter Lalish⁠⁠ Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to our sponsor Ground News. You can visit them here to learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GROUND.NEWS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Propaganda of the Deed (Part 2)

    Propaganda of the Deed (Part 2)
    Feb 13 2026
    Political tensions across the country continue to rise. Today, we spoke with protesters who believe the time for debate, peaceful protest, and civil disobedience has passed, asking what they think must now be done to defend their values. From the anti-ICE protests to the fans of Luigi Mangione, we also explore the similarities—and the key differences—between this moment and the anarchist wave that swept America more than a century ago. Check out Propaganda of the Deed (Part 1) if you haven’t listened to it yet. CREDITS: This episode of Reflector was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Ethan Mannello, Eli Cohen, and Matthew Boll Music for this episode was composed by ⁠⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Peter Lalish⁠ Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠⁠ To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to our sponsor Ground News. You can visit them here to learn more: ⁠⁠⁠GROUND.NEWS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • Propaganda of the Deed (Part 1)

    Propaganda of the Deed (Part 1)
    Feb 6 2026
    As demonstrators openly debate whether violence is justified to resist the Trump administration, we step back to ask: Have we been here before? This episode traces a largely forgotten chapter of American history – from the Haymarket Riot to anarchist assassinations, government crackdowns, and the birth of the FBI and the ACLU – to show how cycles of political violence and state power have shaped the American left for more than a century. The story reveals how moments meant to spark revolution often end by transforming the country in ways no one intended. For this story – in addition to speaking with dozens of protestors, modern day anarchists, community organizers, and historians – we also read these books, which we highly recommend: The President and the Assassin by Scott Miller The Republic for Which It Stands by Richard White American Colossus by H.W. Brands The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin Luigi Galleani: The Most Dangerous Anarchist in America by Antonio Senta and Sean Sayers And if you’re interested in Scott Miller’s work, he just released a new book called Let My Country Awake: Indian Revolutionaries in America and the Fight to Overthrow the British Raj CREDITS: This episode of Reflector was reported by Andy Mills and Ethan Mannello. It was produced by Eli Cohen and Matthew Boll. Music for this episode was composed by ⁠Cobey Bienert⁠⁠⁠ and Peter Lalish Opening music is Gnossiennes No. 1 by Satie Reflector artwork by ⁠⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠⁠ To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to our sponsor Ground News. You can visit them here to learn more: ⁠⁠GROUND.NEWS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • The Hallelujah

    The Hallelujah
    Dec 26 2025
    After leaving the church that both defined and destroyed her family, Megan Phelps-Roper turned away from the Bible. In this episode, she returns to one of its dark tales to ask what still endures when belief is gone – and why some stories refuse to let us go. CREDITS: This episode of Reflector was written by Megan Phelps-Roper and produced by Andy Mills and Matthew Boll Music for this episode was composed by Cobey Bienert⁠⁠ The Hallelujah artwork by ⁠⁠Jacob Boll⁠⁠ To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to our sponsor Ground News. You can visit them here to learn more: ⁠GROUND.NEWS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • The Last Invention

    The Last Invention
    Oct 3 2025
    Listen to our new show The Last Invention Apple Spotify Order Katie Herzog’s new book: Drink Yourself Sober Sign up for our newsletter on Substack and become a Longview subscriber at our website. Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND.NEWS FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins