UnTangled with Cathy Renna: Speaking Truth in Hard Times

Last week on UnTangled, I had the gift of sitting down with my friend Cathy Renna, Communications Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Cathy has been doing this work for decades – telling the stories that others try to erase, and standing firm in the fight for truth, dignity, and justice.

We didn’t spend much time talking about tech or campaigns. Instead, we talked about journalism, storytelling, and what it means to tell the truth when the truth itself is under attack.

And honestly? That conversation felt like a breath of fresh air and a reminder that we’ve survived dark times before, and that resistance is everywhere if you know where to look. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that until Cathy said it.

Why Journalism Matters to Us

Cathy reminded me that independent and community media are lifelines right now. Outlets like The Advocate, LGBTQ Nation, and News is Out are doing the hard work of reporting on our communities with accuracy and care. Citizen journalists like V Spehar (Under the Desk News) are reaching millions of people with stories that don’t make it to the nightly news.

For nonprofits, this matters because our work depends on truth. We can’t fight for justice if the reality of what’s happening on the ground is hidden, ignored, or distorted.

The Bigger Picture

Cathy also named what so many of us feel in our bones: there are real efforts underway to dismantle democracy, to silence queer voices, to erase history. It’s terrifying. And yet, she also reminded me that resistance is alive.

People are showing up — in small towns, in rural places, at local council meetings, at protests large and small. These acts of defiance don’t always make headlines, but they are happening everywhere. And they matter.

Where Hope Lives

In these confusing, terrifying, and isolating times, here’s what I’m holding onto: hope lives in these stories. Hope lives in the communities that refuse to be erased and keep showing up for each other. Hope lives in every act of “good trouble” (as John Lewis encouraged) that reminds us we are not powerless.

And at the heart of it, that’s why I do UnTangled. Yes, we talk about data and email lists and all the practical nonprofit stuff. But it’s never just about that. It’s about connection. It’s about truth. It’s about amplifying voices too often pushed aside or silenced. That’s the heart of movement-based, equity-centered, justice-seeking nonprofit work.

Because in times like these, telling the real stories of what’s happening in people’s lives isn’t just important — it’s survival.

Watch the Conversation

Here’s the full conversation with Cathy — and trust me, it’s worth your time. Cathy drops insight after insight, and by the end, I think you’ll feel a little more grounded, maybe even a little more hopeful.

A Few Resources Cathy Highlighted

• The Advocate 
• LGBTQ Nation
• News is Out (a nonprofit media consortium)
• Under the Desk News (V Spehar)

I’ll keep sharing more as Cathy sends me additional recommendations.

This is why we do the work. Not just to optimize campaigns or clean up databases, but to ensure our communities’ voices — messy, real, and resilient — continue to be heard.

Got a great story that needs to be heard? Drop me a line and let’s talk about it on an episode of UnTangled together.