Having a Moment

Elena Rose Vera, deputy executive director of Trans Lifeline, tells how her organization kept up with an incredibly tough year for the trans community. Trans Lifeline provides hotline support for trans people in crisis, plus gives microgrants -- $200,000 and counting -- for individuals to update their IDs. In the news, the Jills and Brittney talk about family separation, “redefining masculinity,” and keeping optimism alive on the road to 2020.

As the founding executive director of Youth Rise Texas, Kandace Vallejo is lifting up the voices of young people affected by mass incarceration and deportation. That means training young people to make their voices heard in Texas politics, showing them how to band together in what she calls an “activist club,” and helping them heal during difficult situations. In the news this week, Jill and Mike discuss the teachers’ strikes in Los Angeles and around the country.

Many people are working hard to protect us against gun violence today. In this episode, we talk to one of them: Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Senior Managing Director Debbie Weir. (Worth noting: Weir was the CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, for 15 years.) In the news this week, the Jills and Brittney discuss the U.S. Census and Tarana Burke’s Me Too Movement Fund.

Family separation: sadly, still a big problem. In this episode, RAICES case manager Miriam Camero explains how the nonprofit is working to reunite families, how they’re providing protection to refugees and asylum seekers, and how you can help their efforts. In the news breakdown, Jill and Mike reflect on historic midterm victories by women candidates.

This week, an interview with Aditi Juneja, who’s a lawyer, writer and communications organizer at Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan nonprofit that keeps an eye on the government to make sure it's not leaning too authoritarian. Yikes. In the news breakdown, Jill, Jill and Brittney discuss anti-bullying “strategies,” the urgency of action on climate change, and the potential impact of the "trans memo."

Laura McQuade, Planned Parenthood of New York City president and CEO, joins the show to talk about protecting New Yorkers’ healthcare access, voting with your values, and getting politically active with the PPNYC Votes PAC. (Her interview begins at 26:00.) But first, Jill and Mike process the aftermath of the Kavanaugh hearings, a month past the confirmation. Trigger warning: that conversation references sexual assault and rape.

We’ve got midterm election fever! Other things on our minds: the defeat of six of eight members of New York’s “IDC,” a group of Democrats who didn’t act like it, and attacks on the free press. We close the show with Ross Morales Rocketto, cofounder of Run for Something, a group dedicated to getting progressive young people elected to local office.

A new cohost joins the show: Chief Male Correspondent Mike Thompson. This week, we’re talking about women running for office (spoiler alert: people have feelings on this!) and learning tips for having conversations with people you don’t agree with. Our special guest, Joan Blades of Living Room Conversations, has made it her goal to bridge the divide.

Meet the Having a Moment team: Jill Hilbrenner, Jill Doran, and Brittney Jackson. This episode, we talk about family separation (still a thing, still not OK), unconscious bias in the workplace, and fighting for your worth. Plus, we're joined by Nicole Follmann, a senior bail associate at the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund. Her organization helps pay bail for people who can't afford it.

The world is...a lot. And sometimes, you just need a moment to deal. Having a Moment is a podcast that breaks down the news and the ways it’s affecting us daily. We’ll laugh about the bizarre state of American politics, or mostly just laugh to keep from crying. We’ll celebrate the good stuff and talk about the things that are giving us rage tears. And we’ll share tips about how we’re taking care of ourselves and helping others. Each episode, you’ll also get uplifting conversations with women making the most of these trying times, by investing in their communities and themselves. You shouldn’t always be alone when you’re having a moment, so have it with us!