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August 17, 2025 22 mins

Welcome to In Service to Rainbows! I'm your host, Brooklyn Vennell, and today's episode takes a turn inward. Instead of interviewing a guest, I'm talking about something that's been weighing heavily on my heart: the decline of politics, the corruption running through it, and how that corruption has been twisted into a weapon against trans and queer people. In recent years, we've watched lawmakers use fear and misinformation to push harmful agendas, turning real people's lives into pawns in a cynical game for power.

This episode isn't just about calling out what's broken—it's about remembering what politics could be. I reflect on my favorite show, The West Wing, and how it showed me a different vision of leadership: one rooted in empathy, intelligence, and service. That show didn't just entertain me—it called me to something bigger. It reminded me that government, at its best, can be a force for good, a way to bring people together instead of tearing them apart.

It's a deeply personal conversation about what inspired me, what still gives me hope, and why we can't afford to give up—even when the system feels impossibly broken.

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