The era of the Christian political agenda and conservative cultural hegemony took a backseat after Obama ushered in a time of progressive social optimism. For a moment, it felt like conservatives would never win again, especially on social issues. 
But they did. 
This week, June and Josh explore how the Obama administration rolled back abstinence-only sex education while advancing liberal social causes. Then they discover how the Christian right strategized to take back over politics and successfully redirected culture toward conservatism through the Heritage Foundation and its signature document: Project 2025.
***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEKLY MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to <a href='mailto:illconceivedpod@gmail.com'>illconceivedpod@gmail.com</a>***
AUDIO CLIPS:
<ul>
<li>47:13 - Former US Education Secretary <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ-1lqHow4E'>Betsy DeVos in a PragerU video about Title IX</a></li>
</ul>
SOURCES:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6788809/'>Elucidating the relationships between shame, anger, and self-destructive behaviors: The role of aversive responses to emotions</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/omnibus-appropriations-bill-advances-reproductive-health-care#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20improving%20access,funding%20for%20these%20programs%20altogether.%E2%80%9D'>Omnibus Appropriations Bill Advances Reproductive Health Care</a> (2019)</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/new-trump-teen-pregnancy-approach-stresses-abstinence-n869141'>New Trump teen pregnancy approach stresses abstinence (2018)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/trump-has-abstinence-only-vision-federally-funded-family-planning-programs'>Trump Has an Abstinence-Only Vision for Federally Funded Family Planning Programs (2019)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://teensinprint.com/the-link-between-book-restrictions-and-sex-education/'>The link between book restrictions and sex education</a> (2023)</li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5266/'>Conservative and Cultural Clashes with Comprehensive Sexuality Education</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.statista.com/statistics/259518/birth-rate-among-us-teenagers/'>Birth rate among U.S. teenagers aged 15-19 years from 1991 to 2023</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://equality.house.gov/media-center/domestic-news/bidens-new-school-rules-protect-lgbtq-students#:~:text=On%20April%2019%2C%20the%20Biden,in%20federally-funded%20educational%20programs.'>Biden's New School Rules Protect LGBTQ Students</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2024/04/25/conservatives-plan-lawsuits-block-new-title-ix-rule#:~:text=You%20have%20/5%20articles%20left,the%20provisions%20protecting%20LGBTQ+%20students.'>Why Conservatives Want New Title IX Rule Blocked</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-03/trump-administration-to-audit-california-sex-education-curriculum-for-medical-accuracy#:~:text=2-,The%20Trump%20administration%20is%20reviewing%20the%20curriculum%20of%20a%20sex,to%20take%20up%20the%20issue.'>Trump administration to audit California sex education curriculum for ‘medical accuracy’ (2025)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf'>Mandate For Leadership: The Conservative Promise (Project 2025)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/how-project-2025-would-devastate-public-education'>How Project 2025 Would Devastate Public Education</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/impact-eo-redefine-sex-tbi/#:~:text=On%20January%2020%2C%20President%20Trump,variety%20of%20federal%20policy%20areas.'>Impact of the Executive Order Redefining Sex on Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex People</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/judge-blocks-trumps-efforts-to-defund-planned-parenthood'>Judge blocks Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://ncac.org/resource/timeline-of-abstinence-only-education-in-u-s-classrooms#:~:text=2009%20President%20Barack%20Obama's%202010,hard%20time%20meeting%20this%20criteria.'>Timeline of Abstinence-Only Education in U.S. Classrooms</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/02/03/department-education-reverts-trumps-title-ix-rule'>Department of Education Reverts to Trump’s Title IX Rule</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/us-fertility-rates-down-teens-women-40-first-time-moms-rcna196809'>More older women becoming first-time moms amid U.S. fertility rate declines</a></li>
<li style="font-weight:400;"><a href='https://www.project2025.observer/en?sort=dateCompleted-asc&agencies=Dept.+of+Education&subjects=580f30114cf485b041c4a05bc'>Project 2025 Tracker</a></li>
</ul>
FOLLOW THE SHOW:
<ul>
<li>Website: <a href='https://illconceivedpodcast.com'>illconceivedpodcast.com</a></li>
<li>Bluesky: ‪<a href='https://bsky.app/profile/illconceivedpodcast.com'>@illconceivedpodcast.com</a></li>
<li>Tumblr: <a href='https://www.tumblr.com/illconceivedpod'>@illconceivedpod</a></li>
</ul>
FOLLOW JOSH:
<ul>
<li>Website: <a href='https://joshboerman.com'>joshboerman.com</a></li>
<li>Bluesky: <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/bosh.worstpossible.world'>@bosh.worstpossible.world</a></li>
<li>Other podcast: <a href='https://www.worstpossible.world'>The Worst of All Possible Worlds</a></li>
<li>Stream: <a href='https://www.twitch.tv/traditional_scrench/'>Traditional Scrench</a></li>
</ul>
FOLLOW JUNE:
<ul>
<li>Bluesky: <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mf5dzzqkp7fnmby6blfeljwj'>@junlper.beer</a></li>
<li>Other podcast: <a href='https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-the-computer/id1647062210'>Kill The Computer</a></li>
<li>Writing: <a href='https://junlper.substack.com'>June's Substack</a></li>
</ul>

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