Unpacking the Impacts
Unpacking the Impacts
Podcast Description
Unpacking the Impacts is a podcast about what happens after harm—and what justice could look like. Host Kasey Politano explores how systems respond to gender-based violence, who gets left behind, and how communities are building care and accountability in their place. Grounded in survivor support and made accessible for students, it’s brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier’s Office of Human Rights and Consent is Golden.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores various themes related to gender-based violence, survivor support, and justice systems, with episodes that discuss coercive control in queer relationships, legal pathways for survivors in civil court, and the intersection of law and gender-based violence. For instance, Episode 1 features a discussion with Pamela Cross about her book on intimate partner violence, while Episode 2 features insights from civil lawyer Simona Jellinek on survivor choices in the legal landscape.
Unpacking the Impacts is a podcast about what happens after harm—and what justice could look like. Host Kasey Politano explores how systems respond to gender-based violence, who gets left behind, and how communities are building care and accountability in their place. Grounded in survivor support and made accessible for students, it’s brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier’s Office of Human Rights and Consent is Golden.
Neha Verma is a queer South Asian writer and creative whose research explores abolitionist healing possibilities for queer and racialized survivors of gender and sexual violence.
We talk about challenging the dominant “healing narrative”, the tidy, linear story that moves from innocence to harm, to full recovery — and how this script, reinforced by the criminal legal system and respectability politics, can erase the messy, complex, and ongoing realities of survivorship.
Neha shares the idea of the “tolerable survivor,” how racialized and queer survivors navigate healing in systems not built for them, and what it means to imagine worthy survivor futures.
Referenced in this episode:
📘 Tanya Tagaq – Split Tooth
📘 Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha – Dirty River
Support & Resources:
Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support – students.wlu.ca 📧 [email protected]
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres – https://www.ocrcc.ca
ShelterSafe Canada – https://www.sheltersafe.ca
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region – 24-Hour Crisis Line: 519-741-8633
If this episode resonated with you, follow the show and leave a comment. We’d love to hear what you think.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.