Fighting Christian nationalism with facts alone doesn't work. This week, Kim and Rose kick off season six with Monte Mader, progressive political and cultural commentator, writer, public speaker, and vocalist, to talk about why stories, not statistics, are what actually help women question and leave high-control belief systems. Raised on a rural Wyoming cattle ranch as a "biblical wife," Monte was taught to marry, submit, and build her life around men and children, until a family crisis made her question her ideology. She and the hosts dig into how trad wife content sells an illusion of safety while hiding the labor behind it, why complementarianism functions as the church's own "separate but equal" doctrine, and why fights over voting rights, Title IX, and trans athletes are really about controlling women. Plus: why Monte chose a one-on-one debate with Allie Beth Stuckey over the usual viral pile-on format, and what she tells anyone trying to reach a friend or family member pulled toward trad wife ideology or the manosphere. In this episode: Kim and Rose open season six, reflecting on the show's growth and recent award recognitionRose breaks down Texas GOP efforts to end no-fault divorce, and how fault-based divorce can trap abused women in harmful marriagesKim discusses postpartum depression as an underrecognized women's health issue, using Hayden Panettiere's recent death as an example of how women's suffering is often ignoredMonte on growing up as a "biblical wife" and the moment her worldview broke openHow trad wife content hides the labor and exhaustion behind the aestheticComplementarianism as the church's "separate but equal" doctrineWhy Christian nationalist arguments so often target women's voting rights, Title IX, and trans athletesMonte's advice: lead with questions and your own story, not argumentsWhether you're a lifelong feminist or newly feminism-curious, join us this season as Kim and Rose speak with the movers and shakers defining the feminist movement. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website. Leave us a voicemail for us to include in a future episode! Call 202-628-8669 or send a voice memo to feminismnow@now.org. Guest: Monte Mader is a progressive political and cultural commentator, writer, public speaker, and vocalist. She speaks from lived experience inside white Christian nationalism and now helps others recognize the signs, language, and power structures of these movements. Today’s featured chapter: Central New York NOW, hosting their fourth annual Reproductive Rights Film Fest, September 15-19, 2026. Follow us on social media: Find Kim on Instagram @KimVillanueva_NOW, and find Rose on X @BrunacheRose. Find NOW here: Instagram: @nationalnow TikTok: @national_now BlueSky: @nationalnow.bsky.social Facebook: NationalNOW X: @nationalnow
