Midwife, parent, nurse, educator, and proud Palestinian Ash joins Jaimie for a powerful, expansive conversation that connects queer birth work, liberation, bodily autonomy, and the politics of modern healthcare. From becoming a parent before coming into their trans identity, to the crisis inside U.S. obstetrics, to creating community-centered birth education for queer & trans families, Ash brings depth, clarity, and truth. The episode also touches on Ash’s ties to Palestine, why so many people are re-examining the narrative they were taught, and how to learn, help, and show up with intention.
🏳️🌈 Key Takeaways
- Birth is not inherently dangerous — but our systems are flawed.
- Rising U.S. gestational mortality rates are tied to financial incentives, outdated policies, and cultural fear.
- Where you feel safest is where you birth best.
- Stress pathways interrupt labor; safety & comfort matter more than location.
- Queer & trans people need trauma-informed preparation.
- Education + community before labor creates resilience when navigating misgendering or assumptions in hospitals.
- Intentional parenting is a queer superpower.
- Living outside the norms forces us to question, rebuild, and parent with intention.
- Liberation is interconnected.
- Ash links birth work to Palestinian liberation, colonial separation, and reclaiming humanity.
- Learning about Palestine doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
- Start with Palestinian voices. Complexity is often used to keep people disengaged.
🏳️🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️🌈
- Ash (they/them) is a Trans Palestinian educator, speaker & midwife whose work centers birth justice and community care. They teach accessible, queer- and trans-inclusive childbirth classes through Embodied Birth Class and speak widely about physiologic birth, medical racism, and creating safer, more liberated birth experiences for all families.
🏳️🌈 Thanks to our sponsors!
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🏳️🌈 Resources Mentioned
- Ash’s Website: www.embodiedbirthclass.com • Join their mailing list for upcoming classes and events.
- Ash’s Instagram • @embodied.birth • @queertabletops
- The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine — Rashid Khalidi
- Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History — Nur Masalha
- Works by historian Ilan Pappé
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