Death Panel

Health Fascism, Body Politics, and the Anti-State State (DP x S26)

Sep 7, 2026 · 55 min · 9 segments

To support the show and help make episodes like this one possible, become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod This is the first recording in a series of sessions we organized at this…

To support the show and help make episodes like this one possible, become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod This is the first recording in a series of sessions we organized at this year's Socialism Conference. We're posting it ahead of our usual schedule as clips from this session have started circulating online and kicking off a round of discourse on health, health fascism and "fitness," and we wanted to make sure everyone has access to the full remarks. Full session description: As governments retreat from care, and health increasingly becomes a signifier of discipline—rather than provision—fitness, disability, fatness, illness, Blackness, impairment, and bodily capacity are mobilized into measures of moral worth and political belonging. This panel examines how health, disability, body size, and race are instrumentalized by the state and being reorganized under health fascism. Da’Shaun L. Harrison and Beatrice Adler-Bolton will discuss what these transformations reveal about the changing relationship between capitalism, the state, and everyday life. Speakers: Beatrice, Da'Shaun L. Harrison Show links: We're testing out a new Bookshop.org page (still under construction), where you can find books by past guests and book recommendations from the hosts. Find it here: https://bookshop.org/shop/deathpanel Get Health Communism here: https://bookshop.org/a/118130/9781839765179

To support the show and help make episodes like this one possible, become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod This is the first recording in a series of sessions we organized at this…

Speakers: Beatrice Adler-BoltonHostDa'Shaun L. HarrisonGuest

Welcome and Conference Announcements0:00 – 2:36

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:00

[upbeat music] All right.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:33

Hi.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:34

Welcome, everyone.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:35

My name is Beatrice Adler-Bolton.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:37

I am one of the co-hosts of Death Panel Podcast, and co-author of the book Health Communism.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:42

And first, I just wanna thank you all for coming, um, to this session called Health Fascism, Body Politics, and the Anti-State State with Dashaun L. Harrison.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

0:53

Uh, this session is sponsored- [audience applauding] [audience cheering] This session is sponsored by Death Panel, and it's the first session of our health fascism series of panels here at the conference over the weekend.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:06

So I'd encourage all of you to consider joining us for those as well, which is, uh, Trans Care in the Age of Health Fascism later this afternoon, and Care Networks, Abolition, and the Fight Against Border Policing tomorrow afternoon on Sunday.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:18

So first, I'm gonna read the announcements.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:22

Uh, reminder, all Socialism Conference attendees are required to wear masks, fully covering the nose and mouth while indoors in conference spaces, including hallways and meeting rooms.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:34

Speakers from the front of sessions may remove their masks in order to deliver their presentations, but only while actively speaking.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:41

I'm not going to.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:42

Audience members are still required to wear masks even while asking questions or making comments, and again, the discussion portion is not gonna be live-streamed, so just the talks are.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

1:54

Um, COVID is currently surging, and the mask policy's in place to protect all of us, especially the immunocompromised, from the risk of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:05

Community safety at Socialism relies on all of us showing up for each other.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:09

Please help keep an eye out.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:10

No one should be recording in conference spaces unless they have an orange press badge.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:14

Badge checkers at the door of each room are part of our community safety plans, and all attendees are expected to wear their conference badges at all times to enter conference meeting rooms.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:25

Please respect the badge checkers, and know that they're here to support a safe conference.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:29

You can see conference staff at the registration table if you have any problems.

Beatrice Adler-BoltonHost

2:34

Now, [sighs] with that out of the way-

UnknownUnknown

2:36

[laughs]

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