The road from evangelical megachurch clergy to trans progressive election candidate is an unlikely journey, but it does happen! Joanna Whaley (she/her) is a former pastor at a Michigan evangelical megachurch, but actively undergoing “conversion therapy” for 15 years, during most of her time serving there. Joanna transitioned in 2022 and was forced to leave her church, but has become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and outspoken critic of Christian nationalism, a world she was immersed in for most of her early millenial adult life.
Joanna was motivated to run after lots of encouragement from local leaders and community members, due to the fact that her current state representative, Tullio Liberati, was one of eight Democrats to vote last year for a Republican measure that would ban trans girls from school sports. Though Tullio is retiring at the end of his term, his older brother Frank decided to run to replace him. It did not turn out well for the Liberati brothers though, as Joanna defeated Frank by almost 25 percentage points. The core of Joanna’s platform is to get utilities in check, pass, single payer healthcare in the state of Michigan, and protect civil rights and freedom for all people. If elected in November, she will become the first trans woman elected to the Michigan legislature, quite a stunning turnaround from the current representation in her district.
Rachel Bochner has been growing, learning and evolving a whole life, as we all do. Her upcoming debut album “I Guess A Sure Thing Couldn’t Go Down Gently” drops on September 25 and details heartbreak, self-discovery and exploring her queer identity and the freedom that comes with that. Bochner wants her queer fans to feel heard and loved by her music, and she raises money and spreads community through her work with The Wild Honey Pie.
The Democratic Socialists are on the rise all over the country, including (unsurprisingly) progressive Oregon. In the Portland area, an anesthesiologist named Dr. Tammy Carpenter (she/her) is an unapologetic Democratic Socialists, having joined in 2016 during the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. Over her 20 years as an anesthesiologist she witnessed patients seeking treatment who couldn’t afford healthcare deductibles or healthcare plans themselves, watching patients drowning in debt. One of the three pillars of her campaign is universal healthcare, as well as taxing the rich and funding the people.
Everybody has a skincare routine nowadays. Everyone’s desks and vanities are littered with product upon product of serums and creams meant to make us age in reverse or glow like the sun. In the constant noise and hurricane of social media promotion and online pop up ads, however, how can you trust what will actually be the healthiest choice for your skin and what is just a bucket of glitter. Here are some examples of brands that carry vegan, cruelty free and overall sustainable sunscreen options to add into your skincare routine.
What is the point of making national parks more accessible if they aren't sustainable? In 2025 alone, the United States National Park System recorded 323 million recreational visits. However, as visits increased, there weren't enough staff to sustain such a system. Since Trump took office, it was reported that by mid-2025 the administration had dismissed nearly 1,000 NPS employees as part of a wave of far-reaching federal layoffs, all under the promise of "saving money."
Hawaii is known for being one of the most progressive states in the country, but even there, progressives have had to fight their way into the state legislature to ensure equitable representation of all groups and to push progressive policies to move Hawaii forward and better the lives of everyone who lives there.
One such representative is Kim Coco Iwamoto (s/he, hir, hirs), the first transgender legislator in Hawaii’s history. After two terms on Hawaii’s Board of Education, she ran five consecutive elections before finally unseating Hawaii’s powerful House Speaker, Scott Saiki, who she challenged twice before. A Sansei, hir Japanese grandparents and great-grandparents worked on sugar cane plantations on the island of Kauai and cantaloupe farms in Imperial Valley, California. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and has a BA in creative writing from San Francisco State University and a juris doctor from the University of New Mexico. This accomplished surfer is passionate about increasing the gas tax to fund free public transportation across the state and imposing a tax on seasonal homes to help fund rent subsidies to make housing more affordable for the working class.
A low-waste lifestyle grows through practical habits that fit your daily routine. Clear goals and time frames make progress easier to see and easier to maintain. These seven challenges can help you reduce waste in measurable ways while creating low-waste habits that feel realistic and rewarding.
Ashanti Martinez (he/him) is a gay Afro-Latino millennial representative in Maryland’s House of Delegates. Active in politics from his early teenage years, Ashanti comes from a working-class family in Prince George’s County, a majority-Black county outside of Washington, DC. Ashanti attended Howard University, and is passionate about LGBTQ rights, universal healthcare, gun control, and the environment.
Expensive handbags, shoes, and clothes had taken a backseat to water during an era ruled by climate change; those who can afford the comfort of water, air conditioning, and a lifestyle unchallenged by the heat wave are now owning the new luxury.
Darius Oon is branching out on his own in the music industry. After a childhood of playing guitar and piano and listening to The Beatles with his parents, he’s been a proud member of a number of bands before releasing his first single as a solo artist this past June. Taking inspiration from Djo and Wallows, he describes his sound as having a certain “nostalgic quality.” Oon is also a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and cancer research, and has worked closely with many organizations that support these causes.
Alonna Berry (she/her), shows a way that Democrats can win over voters in rural areas. This Black millennial is constantly meeting with local leaders and constituents in her district, while always remaining true to her progressive principles, including advocating for protecting reproductive freedom, defending LGBTQ+ Delawareans, advancing racial equity, modernizing public education, expanding affordable housing, strengthening common sense gun safety laws, addressing climate change, and ensuring healthcare is accessible regardless of income or ZIP code. As Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Justice, Alonna works to advance restorative justice, reduce barriers to opportunity, and strengthen communities across Delaware.
During mid-July in New York City, our beautiful skies were clouded and invaded by blown over smoke from a patch of Canadian wildfires. While the air quality here has significantly improved for the remainder of July, over 900 individual wildfires are still raging throughout Canada and covering about 3m hectares of land and diminishing air quality in those areas, other sectors of the United States and even reaching northern areas of Europe.
Today we are profiling a Rhode Island Senator who has been championing progressive laws since her election in 2020. Meghan Kallman (she/her), is a triple-sociology major who after college went to work for Amnesty International. Five years before entering state government, she co-founded Conceivable Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for climate and reproductive justice. This millennial community organizer is also a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and is an avid trumpeter (see photo below). She is most passionate about social, environmental, and economic justice.
With the arrival of summer comes the need for versatile footwear; however, dressing for the season shouldn't cost any living being its life. That is why I have put together a list of stylish, fun, and functional footwear made in an environmentally friendly way.
G’Ra Asim finds creative outlets for self-expression in everything he does. Teaching, writing, reading, making music and more are all pursuits he has delved into as a means of connecting with others through their share in their beliefs and passions. He has worked closely with multiple bands, sets of students and political organizations like the New York Immigrant Coalition, Say Her Name, and the African American Policy Forum to stand up for and support the rights of all people of color across the country.
A hot issue in politics these days is the question of how Democrats will win elections again in rural areas. There are different answers: run on economic issues only, run blue-collar candidates, run someone deeply-embedded and well-known in the area. Today we are profiling a candidate who checks all three boxes. Riley Rodriquez (he/him), is a millennial who has held a number of jobs in his native West Texas: cowboy, oilfield hand, and small business owner. Riley’s platform focuses on healthcare and education as a human right, free school meals, and empowering the working class to take power back from the ruling elite.
If you had told me ten years ago that one of my favorite ways that I would be getting my news is from a super hot half Puerto Rican gay man dressed as Jesus or the Devil I wouldn’t believe you, but Mr. Tell Williams’s hot takes on the political climate help me get through the day. A comedian with a heart of gold, Tell started his social media journey recanting stories from his teaching days and now educates the masses through his wholesome political and social commentary.
Some of my personal favorite videos of his are when he dresses as Jesus or the Devil, while they are cute and fun, I personally love his take on the characters and how they they might not be like what most Christians think they are, but actually a lot more like how I envision them. For example, maybe Jesus would be a fan of feeding kids school lunches and not killing lots of people, who knew?
Another wonderful thing about Tell is that he is a huge feminist and humanitarian. As a man who was raised by strong women he is often throwing his support for women and fighting for us to be treated well. In our current climate, it is so refreshing to see a guy standing up for women. And of course he doesn’t stop there. Tell also works with many LGBTQ+ organizations, mental heath (oh he is also a therapist!), the arts, and food banks. If you don’t already follow him, let our exclusive cover fashion editorial and interview, convince you to! And if you do, you are welcome, because there is nothing better than more Mr. Tell Williams.
Graduated from the Master’s program in Fashion Design at instituto Marangoni and founder of his eponymous brand "VALADEZ," Juan Luis Valadez is a Mexican designer who creates stories that engage in dialogue and question through textiles; every VALADEZ garment represents a constant pursuit of change: a design that is cruelty free, seasonless, slow-produced, and conscious.