WorldPride Washington, D.C. Human Rights Conference 2025

Jen Deerinwater is a bisexual, Two-Spirit, multiply-disabled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and an award-winning journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism—an Indigenous storytelling and media nonprofit. With degrees in Gender Studies, Political Science, and Communications Management, Jen’s work spans journalism, advocacy, and cultural leadership, focusing on intersectional issues impacting Indigenous and disabled communities. A contributor to Truthout, Jen’s writing appears in numerous publications and anthologies, and they are currently working on two books, including Sacred and Subversive, a 2SLGBTQIA+ multi-faith anthology. Based in Washington, D.C., Jen is a member of the Disabled Journalist Association’s board and a 2022 inductee into the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.