The Suss HeadStuff Podcasts

Most of us strive to be as tolerant, open and inclusive as possible. Of course this isn't representative of all of Irish society. All the signs point to instances of racism and other forms of hatred being on the rise in Ireland, and indeed across the globe. But to what extent is the justice system on the side of victims in these cases? Do our current laws act as enough of a deterrent or encourage victims to come forward? We fear not.

This week, we’ve enlisted the help of Aga Wiesek of the European Network Against Racism to tell us exactly what a hate crime is, how the current laws are failing the marginalised and what needs to be done to address all of this. ENAR are part of the Coalition Against Hate Crime that are campaigning to bring Ireland in line with the rest of Europe.

We'll also hear from Eoghan Ryder and Alex Laplas. Their experience of holding hands around Dublin City demonstrate that we didn't simply abolish homophobia overnight by voting in favour of marriage equality in 2015\. Eoghan and Alex's story will leave you in no doubt as to the need to fill this glaring gap in our laws.  

A hate crime is, typically, a violent crime motivated by prejudice, when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their perceived membership of a certain social group.

Hate crime has two important elements:

1\. Criminal act: Hate crimes are acts which are treated as crimes in criminal law, such as assaults, theft, criminal damage, arson or murder.

2\. Bias motive: Hate crimes are motivated, at least in part, by hatred of someone’s real or supposed identity or background.

People targeted by hate-motivated crime in Ireland are usually:

From an ethnic minority background (racist hate crimes)

From a religious minority (religious hate crimes) 

Lesbian, gay or bisexual (homophobic hate crime)

Transgender (anti-transgender hate crimes)

People with disabilities (disablist hate crime)

On this week’s episode Steph and Glenn chat to Ciara O’Connor-Walsh, Editor of ‘A Lust For Life’; an award-winning Irish wellbeing website, co-host, and producer of a new six-part mental health podcast ‘Where There’s A Will’.

The podcast has brought together some of the best and brightest minds in Ireland’s mental health sector to ask: why is our mental health system so dysfunctional? Who is responsible for fixing it? And what can we, collectively, do to create long-term, systemic change?

We discuss the systemic failings of the Irish mental health system, from policy to infrastructure to the shocking lack of financial resources made available for those in need.

“Through this podcast series we’ve connected a number of key people working in mental health to deconstruct the problems we face today – in 2018 – and what we need to focus on to make things better. We learned a huge amount in making this series, and we hope people listening will learn a lot too. Importantly this work is not just about going over the old ground of everything that’s wrong with the system – it is about articulating the change that is both necessary and possible.” 

We also look at the fall-out from the Cork rape trial last weekend which sparked women around the world to take to the streets with their underwear in protest of a barrister using a 17 year old girl's underwear as evidence against her. As an extention to this, we also ponder the link between pornography and sexual violence.

This week's episode of The Suss offers an explainer on all things Brexit related. Glenn and Steph draft in two Brexperts to provide an outline of where things are at right now. Amid all the hysteria, it can be difficult to know what is really happening. This isn't helped by the fact that one side doesn't seem to know what it wants to negotiate. We embark on a sense making mission to get you the full picture. How do our guests rate the Government's negotiating record to date? What the hell is a backstop? What, if any kind of a border will be on the island of Ireland in ten years time? How much ground has been given in the negotiations?

Joining us this week is Brian Mahon, one of the hosts of the Paddy Wants to Know About Brexit Podcast (Also available on the Headstuff Podcast Network) and student of journalism in DCU. Also with us is Oisin Dolan. Oisin is from Cavan Town near the border and is an active member of Sinn Fein (speaking in a personal capacity)

This episode delves into some of the lesser explored aspects of the fiasco; What would the political consequences of a second referendum be? Was there a case to be made for a 'Lexit'? Ahead of the EU elections next year, is reform totally beyond the pale and will this play into the hands of those who favour an Irish exit along xenophobic lines?

We don't have a crystal ball and we can't predict how it's all going to go down but we can equip you with the full picture to date. It's a Brexit bonanza brought to you by the letter 'B'.

Exit track - 'Gentle Kind of Lies' by BARQ

On this weeks episode of The Suss, Steph and Glenn tackle the issues of privilege and prejudice in Irish society.

Glenn sits down with Eileen Flynn, a proud member of the Irish Travelling community, for a chat about the systemic lack of political representation of Travellers in Irish politics plus the multifarious difficulties facing Irish Travellers in 2018. 

We discuss the inflammatory comments made by Presidential candidate Peter Casey against the Travelling community during a televised debate and consider the disproportionate media coverage that ensured following his remarks. 

Historically Irish Travellers have been the target of discrimination and disdain in Ireland and Casey's polarising comments have poured salt in old wounds and unfortunately saw him surge into 2nd place in the presidential polls.   

We also sit down with Dean Van Nguyen a journalist with The Irish Times, The Guardian, and Pitchfork to hear about his relationship with his own half Irish half Vietnamese identity. Much of Deans work has centered around the issues of 'otherness' he has felt in Irish society and questions surrounding the idea of white privilege and how it works in Ireland. 

Exit Track - Gill Scott Heron 'We Almost Lost Detroit'

It's 30 up for The Suss. The political podcast for Ireland's locked out generation also turns 1 this week. Ever wondered why we do what we do? This week we're in a laid back mood, more akin to having a loose chat in the smoking area of Workman's than being in studio.

First on the agenda, Steph gives us the inside scoop on the Taking Back The Web conference currently taking place. This conference is run by the Centre for Critical Media Literacy at Dublin Institute of Technology. The centre aims to facilitate a range of media research, production, learning and community engagement, with a commitment to equality and diversity. Its mission includes scientifically informed and timely studies of the changing technologies that underlie media.

There's also plenty to say about the ongoing race for the Áras. We've got the suss on this week's TV debates. We even reveal where our votes are going and why. We've plenty to say about the manner in which Dragon #3, Peter Casey's campaign has brought Irish politics to a new low.

Following this, we look back at our highlights of the last 12 months. Before embarking upon another period of sussing things out, we revisit our motivation for wanting to get into the podcasting game. Alternative media should always seek to add something into the broader media sphere that isn't already there. We hope that we have managed to do that somewhat since we arrived on to the Headstuff Podcast network last October. We get real about moments that made our jaw drop and ways that our amazing guests have challenged our own perspectives.

What if everything you thought you knew about the world of sex work was back to front? Sex work will increasingly feature in conversations about bodily autonomy, workers rights & migrant rights in the years to come. 

In this episode, Glenn and Steph are joined by solicitor, feminist and activist Wendy Lyon to help navigate and understand the often steep challenges faced by those in the industry. 

Wendy talks us through the Swedish/Nordic model which appears to have been championed in Ireland by a combination of groups who do not have the best interests of sex workers at heart and some civil society organisations that may have been well meaning but are misguided by a moral bias; one that believes that it is possible to eradicate the industry altogether.  We cover the alternative New Zealand model which is by no means a panacea but appears to be a far more sensible way of legislating. 

We put the list of anxieties that are often expressed about sex work to Wendy and uncover a need for nuance when discussing problems often associated with the trade, such as human trafficking. 

There has been a 10% increase in violence reported against sex workers since the new law came into effect. We see that we must now brace Irish society for an honest and evidenced-based approach to legislation, perhaps as was seen during at the Oireachtas Committee on the 8th Amendment. It will come as a surprise to nobody that the conditions for exploitation have not been eradicated by changes to the law. There is also a hierarchy of vulnerability which sees migrant workers and the trans community put at an even greater risk.

This episode poses that we must come to consider sex workers as a marginalized group who, because of stigma and an archaic association with criminality, struggle for safety and are yet to find a voice within the #MeToo movement.