JenTalksLoud

February 14, 2025

The last few weeks have been a complete shit show.

The Trump administration is invoking actual chaos and tracking changes in policies and leadership across key institutions is like following a reality show where the stakes are actual human lives. 

I am dealing with my own personal heavy heart. I won’t get into the details, but I want to acknowledge how losing someone, or something, you love completely disrupts life as you know it. Not knowing what’s next – in life and as a country – is giving my ADHD and Anxiety meds a run for their money. 

The Funding Freeze Freak (Fake?) Out

The outrage about “Marxist equity”, “transgenderism,” and the Green New Deal is gross. Supporting basic survival programs should count as improving the lives of everyday Americans. While it may have been put on pause, there’s lingering concern about whether federal dollars will continue to be used for programs that SNAP and WIC, because, apparently, making sure kids eat isn’t a priority anymore. 

Why should you care? Because these programs matter more than your hypothetical tax breaks. 

An Oxfam report from 2023 showed that the richest 1 percent grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth worth $42 trillion created since 2020, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world’s population.

What we fail to understand is that the average person is so much more likely to become a climate refugee than a billionaire, but some of us with money think our adjacency to wealth immunes us from the growing effects of climate change. 

The Trans / Sports Distraction

On Feb. 5, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Trump signed an executive order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. The policy is a blatant attack on transgender women and girls, barring them from competing in women’s sports. This is all wrapped up in some right-wing fever dream about “fairness, dignity, and truth.” As a woman who has competed in and coached girls sports, this is bull shit. 

Trans athletes make up less than 1% of all athletes. This isn’t about protecting women; it’s about othering trans people, attempting to erase them, and scapegoating them as a hypocritical distraction from the real-world threats to women and girls.  

While people are weirdly obsessed with locker rooms, they’re ignoring the very real dangers posing K-12 girls. For example: we should redirect that energy to tightening up gun laws to eliminate school shootings. Or we could keep ICE from going into schools or not continue separating families with mass deportation. If we cared about “protecting women”, we’d pass more Katrina Laws like that which was passed in Chicago, which requires police agencies to confiscate firearms from anyone whose Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card has been revoked because they have a restraining order against them. 

Or, you know, we’d enshrine abortion access to keep us from dying completely preventable deaths.

The DEI Purge

In a matter of weeks, the broad language used in executive orders is forcing mission-driven organizations with proven positive impact on communities to think about how they talk about their work. And diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being gutted across the board. It’s the latest front in the war against progress, disguised as a battle against “woke ideology.” Translation? They’re doing everything possible to erase protections, funding, and opportunities for historically marginalized groups. 

DEI programs—and the broader commitment to inclusivity—are essential to meeting the needs of and authentically representing an increasingly diverse population. But they have made their goal clear: dismantle the systems designed to level the playing field and replace them with state-sanctioned discrimination, all under the guise of “merit.”

Personally? I’m Alright (Kind Of)

Life is life-ing – but I’m really proud of how I’m taking it all in stride.

24-year-old me would have been spiraling, but now? I’ve 20 years of therapy under my belt and the best support system anyone can ask for. 

Also, this is a moment for my beautiful friends. Between Doordash’s cocktails, Cats in Hats, daily check-ins, and a beautiful bouquet of two dozen roses for Valentine’s Day, my outlook and perspective are generally positive. It’s hard not to be when you let yourself soak up love. 

The other ways I’ve been taking care of myself: 

• Peloton rides (add me @jentalksloud)
• Deep breaths
• Affirmations: There is value in navigating hard things. Stand on business because you know your worth. 

The Super Bowl with Girls Guys

I don’t care about football, but I love a game. Sometimes I watch football at a house with a lot of guys on Sundays. Most of the time I bring a book or a laptop because I just want to be around for everyone else’s excitement. Superbowl Sunday is usually a day I attribute to dips, wings, Jell-O shots, and halftime and I appreciate that everyone seems to accept that. 

Two years ago, during Rhianna’s halftime show, I spoke up about four minutes in and said, “She’s pregnant, right?” Every single one of those dudes breathed a sigh of relief. The overwhelming response being, “I didn’t want to be the first to ask.” 

When I say they are mostly girls, girls, guys, I mean it. 

Side note: for the first time at this house full of guys, ladies held the majority for about 20 minutes (and I made sure everyone knew we accomplished parity.)

Kendrick’s halftime show was gorgeous. The lack of an over-the-top set meant the music and choreography carried the show in a way that really appeased this former dancer. Also, Serena doing the Crip Walk? I died. More importantly, I think straight men with powerful wives have something to learn from Mr. Serena Williams – another Girls Guy.

Finding Hope in Community

Fighting for DC and maintaining home rule is becoming increasingly important for all DC residents. A bill from Utah Senator Mike Lee and Tenessee Rep. Andy Ogles was recently introduced because apparently,  they know what’s better for DC than the people who live here. 

This bill escalates Congress’s long-standing overreach in D.C., undermining self-governance and local control—principles conservatives supposedly champion. Unlike any other jurisdiction, D.C., a majority-POC community, faces repeated federal interference in its policies, from budget control to building height limits, perpetuating systemic injustice. At its core, this is yet another attempt to disenfranchise a population larger than that of Vermont, Wyoming, or Delaware.

I attended the Ward 5 community meeting with Free DC. In addition to meeting a lot of neighbors, what stuck with me was that the best way to resist authoritarianism is to not cooperate with it. We prioritize joy, we take care of each other, and we refuse to be scared into submission. 

I am super appreciative of Free DC for making contributing to this effort accessible.  I’m looking forward to passing out flyers and connecting with folks at the Trinidad Farmers Market. (Stop by, say hi!) 

Art, Power, and the Cost of Chaos

I have to keep writing—no matter the imposter syndrome, no matter the engagement metrics (working in PR makes that hard to ignore). But knowing Trump installed himself as the Chair of the Kennedy Center, I’m doubling down. Art is political, what we create matters, and the effort to erase queer and trans voices from these spaces is unacceptable. 

I will never understand how anyone thought this administration would ever lower grocery prices. His actions are leading to the opposite of cheaper anything, and he’s led a cascade of chaos and division that threatens the very fabric of our society. In seeking quick fixes for problems created by wealth inequality, we risk losing sight of what matters: long-term stability and unity. The stakes are much higher than our grocery bills; they involve our values, communities, and the future we want to build together.