Margaret talks with writer and podcast host Courtney Kocak about how legal sex work shaped American culture in the Old West.

Margaret talks with writer and podcast host Courtney Kocak about how legal sex work shaped American culture in the Old West.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff

As long as there&rsquo;s been oppression, there&rsquo;ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be&mdash;and fight to be&mdash;free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Part One: Sex Work in the American West & the Start of a Labor Movement

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/76066571-23be-4c3c-8ba8-b0620170b10e/transcript

Margaret continues talking with defendant Isaac Sant about the resistance to ICE in the Twin Cities and federal repression

links referenced:

Alexio fundraiser: https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid 

Wired article on HSI spying: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/ 

NYtimes article on Operation Puppet Master: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html 

Minnesota 15 legal defense fund: https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund 

The first article to note the correlation between the Northside events and the drop in abductions: https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum 

Guardian article on nspm-7 defendants union:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union 

https://nspm7union.com/ 

https://minnesota15.org 

https://prairielanddefendants.com/ 

https://www.defendmichigan8.org/ 

https://pjals.org/spokane3/ 

 

Margaret continues talking with defendant Isaac Sant about the resistance to ICE in the Twin Cities and federal repression
links referenced:
Alexio fundraiser: <a href="https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid">https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid</a>&nbsp;
Wired article on HSI spying: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/">https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/</a>&nbsp;
NYtimes article on Operation Puppet Master: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html</a>&nbsp;
Minnesota 15 legal defense fund: <a href="https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund">https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund</a>&nbsp;
The first article to note the correlation between the Northside events and the drop in abductions: <a href="https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum">https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum</a>&nbsp;
Guardian article on nspm-7 defendants union: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://nspm7union.com/">https://nspm7union.com/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://minnesota15.org">https://minnesota15.org</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://prairielanddefendants.com/">https://prairielanddefendants.com/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.defendmichigan8.org/">https://www.defendmichigan8.org/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://pjals.org/spokane3/">https://pjals.org/spokane3/</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Part Two: The Minnesota 15 and the Repression of Anti-fascism

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9c1a5280-bba1-4997-bfca-b4f800434e34/transcript

Margaret talks with defendant Isaac Sant about the resistance to ICE in the Twin Cities and federal repression

links referenced:

Alexio fundraiser: https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid 

Wired article on HSI spying: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/ 

NYtimes article on Operation Puppet Master: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html 

Minnesota 15 legal defense fund: https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund 

The first article to note the correlation between the Northside events and the drop in abductions: https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum 

Guardian article on nspm-7 defendants union:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union 

https://nspm7union.com/ 

https://minnesota15.org 

https://prairielanddefendants.com/ 

https://www.defendmichigan8.org/ 

https://pjals.org/spokane3/ 

 

Margaret talks with defendant Isaac Sant about the resistance to ICE in the Twin Cities and federal repression
links referenced:
Alexio fundraiser: <a href="https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid">https://chuffed.org/project/alexio-mutual-aid</a>&nbsp;
Wired article on HSI spying: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/">https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-running-one-of-the-largest-anti-left-surveillance-operations-in-us-history/</a>&nbsp;
NYtimes article on Operation Puppet Master: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html</a>&nbsp;
Minnesota 15 legal defense fund: <a href="https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund">https://chuffed.org/project/186570-minnesota-15-legal-defense-fund</a>&nbsp;
The first article to note the correlation between the Northside events and the drop in abductions: <a href="https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum">https://crimethinc.com/2026/02/23/their-escalation-and-ours-how-the-fight-against-ice-in-the-twin-cities-gained-momentum</a>&nbsp;
Guardian article on nspm-7 defendants union: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-protesters-antifa-defendants-union</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://nspm7union.com/">https://nspm7union.com/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://minnesota15.org">https://minnesota15.org</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://prairielanddefendants.com/">https://prairielanddefendants.com/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.defendmichigan8.org/">https://www.defendmichigan8.org/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://pjals.org/spokane3/">https://pjals.org/spokane3/</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Part One: The Minnesota 15 and the Repression of Anti-fascism

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/be495c1a-c0a9-41b3-81d7-b4f6004084c8/transcript

Margaret talks with historian Ben Egerman about his work studying less-trodden queer history

Find Ben's book at: https://redemmas.org/titles/51654-a-gay-little-history-of-maryland-volume-1/ 

Margaret talks with historian Ben Egerman about his work studying less-trodden queer history
Find Ben's book at:&nbsp;<a href="https://redemmas.org/titles/51654-a-gay-little-history-of-maryland-volume-1/">https://redemmas.org/titles/51654-a-gay-little-history-of-maryland-volume-1/</a>&nbsp;

Part Two: Ben Egerman and the Gay History of Maryland

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/93ba9d9c-8266-45eb-9453-b4f100243fc9/transcript

Part One: Sex Work in the American West & the Start of a Labor Movement

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