REPORTER
Featured Designers:
Frank & Eileen MOTHER Denim Brochu Walker • Xirena Kinross Cashmere Trovata • Velvet Jane Win Jewelry
@ omojewels
Trunk Shows
Suzy Landa August 8- 10
Kinross Cashmere August 14- 17
95 Watch Hill Road • Westerly, RI 860.961. 4678 • www. omojewels. com
95 watch hill road • westerly, ri 860.961.4678 • www. omojewels. com to restaurants, to work, or sending their children to school. It’ s really impacting their day to day.”
“ The level of fear and trauma among the families that we serve is unrecognizable to me from any prior experience, and I’ ve worked with immigrants in different capacities for over forty years,” says Jennifer Wood, an attorney and executive director of the Rhode Island Center for Justice.
The ripple effects of Trump’ s war on diversity and bodily autonomy washed up recently at Chariho High School, where Chris Kona’ s child, a nonbinary ninth grader, had emerged from their shell and for the first time was enjoying school activities in a supportive environment. In the wake of an executive order rolling back Title IX protections for LGBTQ + students, some members of the Chariho School Committee wanted to review the district’ s policies. An outpouring of community support discouraged them from proceeding.
“ Executive orders have no effect on state law,” Kona says.“ But we were afraid of the impact they might have on school policy— and we’ re not the only ones. There are pressures from the federal government and local extremist groups that advocate for discrimination against LGBTQ + students. So, we continue to be worried because we’ re one school district, but there’ s a lot of others in Rhode Island that have had a myriad of different responses.”
Then there are those who thought the ripples wouldn’ t reach them. A few months ago, Shekarchi was getting a haircut when his barber, an ardent Trump supporter, began badmouthing the president. It turned out that his wife had just been fired from her job at the IRS after twelve years.
“ I asked why. He says,‘ There was no reason why. He just could, so he did, I’ m sorry I voted for him,’” recalls Shekarchi.“ I think there are a lot more people like that out there that we don’ t know about and a lot more to come.” 🆁
Ellen Liberman is an award-winning journalist and columnist who has commented on politics and reported on government affairs for more than four decades.
60 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I AUGUST 2025