As part of LGBTQ Nation’s January issue, we asked readers to tell us how one year of the second Trump administration has affected their lives and what they hope LGBTQ+ leaders and allies do differently in 2026.

We received dozens of submissions and have been sharing them throughout the month.

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Megan Neff, a 39-year-old lesbian, wrote about losing her job as a result of funding cuts and how she has built her very own community of support.

Here’s what she had to say.

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How has living under the second Trump administration affected you personally over the last year?

Living under the second Trump administration affected me very personally and very quickly. I lost my business almost immediately. I had been running an educational consulting business through Weebee Learning, partnering with global nonprofit organizations like Jhpiego and Save the Children to support HIV clinical education around the world.

Much of this work was funded through U.S. foreign aid, and when the administration paused those programs, the funding disappeared almost overnight, freezing projects and cutting off communities from essential health education. For me, that meant losing my income and a huge part of the stability my family depended on.

Meanwhile, I had been quietly launching Gay Moms Club as a personal passion project, something rooted in connection and care for queer moms like me. After losing my business, that space became more than a side project; it became a lifeline!

What do you hope to see from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies in 2026?

Moving forward, I hope to see LGBTQ+ leaders show more transparency, stand up for our families, and invest in community-led spaces to ensure queer parents and kids aren’t treated as an afterthought.

Community has carried us through, and it deserves to be supported, not sidelined.

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