Quad Talk

If you’re a woman in America right now, you can feel it. Rights that generations before us fought for — our right to make decisions about our own bodies, our place in workplaces and schools, our safety from discrimination — are under attack.

With Trump back in the spotlight and extremist policies gaining traction, we’re watching reproductive rights be stripped away, diversity and inclusion efforts dismantled, and rhetoric that devalues women become even louder. It’s not just frustrating, it’s terrifying. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was just the beginning. Now, policies limiting abortion access both in the U.S. and abroad are being reinforced, and DEI programs meant to ensure equal opportunities are being slashed from federal agencies.

This isn’t just politics. This is about control. It’s about who gets control over our bodies, whose voices matter, and whose futures are prioritized. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that when power swings in this direction, women always pay the price.

Women have never backed down quietly. We’ve marched, we’ve organized, we’ve fought and we’ve won. This is a time to stay loud, to stay informed, and to push back.

Many students fear that the influx of ICE raids will target their hometowns next, with frequent warnings popping up in various communities regarding sightings of immigration officers. The online and social media communities have been flooded with an influx of infographics and informative posts to help people understand their rights and how to protect themselves at this stressful time which has fostered a sense of both solidarity and anxiety among students across the US.

In response, student activism is gaining momentum. Campuses are seeing an increase in “Know Your Rights” workshops, petitions for sanctuary campus status, as well as an increase in protests across affected areas such as Texas and southern California.

Student-led organizations are also mobilizing to provide legal resources and safe spaces for those affected. However, activism carries risks, particularly for undocumented students and those from mixed-status families, who fear drawing attention to their communities.

Still, despite the fear and uncertainty, one thing remains clear: the resilience of immigrant communities and their allies is unwavering. Students are continuing to show up for one another, amplify voices that need to be heard, share essential information to protect their communities, and refusing to let fear dictate the future. Even as the political landscape grows more volatile, the message on campuses remains strong—immigrants are a vital part of this country, and they are not alone in this fight.

“Don’t Say Gay” —We all know it. We’ve all heard about it. We laughed at first because we saw it as a ridiculous attempt at doing what we thought was impossible–ignoring the existence of millions of Americans. It sounds ridiculous, the institutionalization of homophobia at a state level. To be sure, no one would let this pass? Right? 

We saw it as a comically ridiculous waste of legislative time, but little did we expect it to actually pass, that Florida House Bill 1557 in 2022. I think that was the first time that I remember thinking, “They can’t just get rid of words, get rid of people.” Right?

We thought Roe was secure. We heard whispers of it going back to the bench, but it was a constitutional right. Right?

Dobbs v. Jackson was decided in June 2022. Roe did go back to the court. Roe did fall to right-wing policy.

As much as they beat into us the role of the Supreme Court is to not be political, can someone tell me why conservative justices are still being appointed and approved to the bench?  

We aren’t going back. We can’t go back? Yeah right. 

But now, the Spanish language version of the White House website is gone. Reproductive and contraceptive info websites are dark. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts everywhere are being rolled back. I won’t say that we are moving in the wrong direction, because I think we are being pushed against our best efforts to fight back.

We have rallied, we have fundraised, we have done grassroots work on a national scale. But yet “Don’t Say Gay” has turned into “Don’t say…

• “Women” 
• “Gender”
• “Science”

• “Ethnicity”
• “Hate Speech”
• “Inequality”
• “Minority”
• “Racially”

Words that we have fought to bring light to institutionally and socially for decades, wiped out with a single Executive Order. For what? Making this country great? Well guess who does that. Women, Black people, gay people, lesbian people, transgender people, queer people, indigenous people, immigrants, minorities, qualified people. Right?

“Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you’d be boiled to death before you knew it.” -Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale 

My advice for my fellow pissed-off Americans: Recognize that the water is heating up. Do everything in your power to stop it. Am I right?