Our April Live & Unfiltered: From Goth 5.0 to the Sacredness of the Body
What We Talked About in April & A Scheduling Update!
Thank you to everyone who joined our April Live + Unfiltered event! Once again, we appreciate all the energy and insights you brought from around the globe. We love to see both old friends and new faces (or we should say, screen names).
Here’s a look at what we unpacked together:
Some Highlights from our Episode Analysis
🖤 Goth 5.0 & Aestheticized Suffering
Az Hakeem’s framing of adolescent identity exploration as “Goth Mark 5”—but with permanent consequences—resonated with so many listeners and participants on Friday. Many of you connected this to the aestheticization of pain - beautiful suffering, glorified online: from emo culture to self-harm, anorexia, and now, “gender transition.”
🧠 Existential Search, Secular Rites of Passage, and Meaning
We had some fascinating discussions about how today’s youth are grappling with identity, not just socially, but spiritually. Some of you noted that hormones and surgeries can serve as a kind of "rite of passage" in a culture that lacks initiation or frameworks to move young people from childhood to adolescence.
📚 Media, Mental Health, and Glorifying Darkness
We shared concerns about TikTok trends, Wattpad fiction, “dark romantasy,” and how online subcultures can create confusion and encourage dangerous mental health patterns.
🔍 Sex Ed, Emotional Intimacy, and the Mechanistic Lens
Many of you brought up how current sex education fails our kids—focusing on mechanics and identity politics, while ignoring emotional bonding, attachment, and the relational meaning of sexuality.
💬 Religion, Culture, and the Longing for Grounding
There was a thoughtful exchange about whether religion or a broader sense of sacredness might offer some protection or meaning in the face of disembodiment, nihilism, and extreme self-focus.
🎧 And yes—we did talk about The White Lotus and Judith Butler (we just can’t get away from Judith Butler)
📅 Scheduling Update: Alternating Times for Live + Unfiltered
We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear! Going forward, we’ll be alternating event times each month to make it easier for more people to attend:
🕔 Fridays at 5:00pm EST
☀️ Saturdays at 10:00am EST
Thanks to everyone who voted and shared their preferences! Here are the current poll results:
📣 What Do You Want to Revisit Next?
In May’s event, we’ll return to a past Gender: A Wider Lens episode for live analysis and reflection. We have one guest in mind who’s been heavily discussed in our private texts (👀), but we’re leaving the door open.
💬 Drop a comment: Which episode would you love for us to analyze live?
We’re building this together with you, and your suggestions help shape what we analyze next. If you missed this month’s event, we hope you’ll join us next time—and bring your questions, reflections, and curiosity.
🚀 Stay tuned for the May event announcement and link—including the episode we’ll be revisiting together.
With appreciation,
Sasha & Stella
🔗 Links Shared in the Chat
Genspect’s New Group Model (with trans and detrans members, together): email for more info: beyond@genspect.org
The Atlantic article: “Is Social Media Redefining Depression?”
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho (book referenced): Amazon Link
Sissy Steps Out of the Closet (Malcolm Richard Clark Substack): Read Here
The Talk by Sharon Maxwell (book recommendation): Amazon Link