New podcast makes sure ‘Feminists Ruin Everything’

Feminist Action Collective tackles variety of women’s issues

By Mark Nicklawske

Ironworker

Beth “Glo” Beattie said she often finds herself targeted by sexist male co-workers.

“Just existing is threatening to people, just the fact that you’re there doing the work,” she said recently. “This is another thing I hear a lot: ‘You know you’re taking away a job from a man.’ I’ve heard that hundreds of times. And then I always say: ‘So are you.’”

Sometimes, Beattie said, the best weapon in the battle for women’s equality is wit and sarcasm.

But sometimes it’s tough.

“You gotta let things sometimes roll,” said Firefighter Lindzi CampbellRorvick. “Again, some days you’re just not up to fight the world.”

Beattie, Campbell-Rorvick and welder Aleasha Hladilek shared their trade work experience in a recent episode of a new podcast called “Feminists Ruin Everything.” The Internet talk show was launched last fall by Duluth-based Feminist Action Collective with hosts Anna Tennis and

Andrea Crouse and producer Christine Dean.

Organizers hope women will find the podcast and use it to help “ruin” centuries of male-dominated culture.

Dedicated to supporting women in leadership roles, expanding access to women’s health care and fostering respectful discourse, the Feminist Action Collective was founded the day after the 2016 presidential election.

“In that moment, we realized that the United States would rather have

Donald Trump be president than a totally qualified woman,” Tennis said. “It made a lot of people so angry and so motivated.”

“It was a shock to many people,” Crouse said. “So we were looking for a way to address what we were seeing coming down the road with the new administration.”

The group, which has some 2,000 followers and 30-40 active members, meets regularly at the Building for Women in downtown Duluth. It organized the January Twin Ports Women’s March, participated in International Womxn’s Week events this spring and promotes its cause through merchandise sales, social media and the Feminists Ruin Everything podcast.

The Collective’s Diverse Not Divided Committee initiated the podcast idea.

“We realized we wanted to hear stories from different women, what they’re experiencing in the world,”

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