Nicole Can't Stop Being Aggro

The podcast explores the emotional challenges of being a labor organizer, particularly the reliance on anger as a primary motivator and its potential drawbacks. It features Nicole, a labor organizer, and Deborah Gould, an ACT UP activist and political theorist. Gould discusses how ACT UP channeled anger to combat the AIDS crisis but lacked space for grief, contributing to its eventual demise. Nicole expresses concern that allowing herself to feel grief would hinder her ability to organize effectively. The conversation highlights the importance of balancing anger with other emotions like joy, camaraderie, and collective grief to sustain activism long-term and prevent burnout. They also touch on the role of erotic energy and humor in activism, drawing from ACT UP's history.