Or it can set you free. A Conversation between Gloria Horton-Young and Jay Siegmann What’s behind July 4, 2026? A bold conversation on rights, rollback, and resistance—Gloria Horton-Young and Jay Siegmann speak out.
Thank you for lending me a corner of your wonderfully provocative Substack, where thoughts bounce freely, and America still means something worth arguing passionately about. And thank you, especially, for believing in my writing—because, let’s face it, writers without readers are just people muttering to themselves in a crowded digital room.
Gloria, what a gift your words are—on the page and in this space. You didn’t just borrow a corner; you expanded it. You brought clarity, urgency, and a voice that refuses to dim even when the room gets loud. If my Substack became a place where your storm could touch ground, I’m proud. And no, you’re not muttering—you’re resonating. Fiercely. Widely. Exactly when and where it matters most.
Working on this piece with Gloria as co-author was not just a collaboration—it was a deep, resonant exchange of purpose. Her clarity, fire, and refusal to soften the truth made every step of the process feel urgent and alive. I was grateful, too, for the fact-checking I had done beforehand—it grounded the conversation and gave us room to speak boldly without losing balance. This wasn’t just writing. It was witnessing. And I’m honored to have done it side by side with her.
Morgan, your words are a lantern—thank you for holding that light with us. Truth, integrity, honor, justice… they’re heavy to carry alone, but less so when voices like yours walk beside us. Gloria and I may have written it, yet it’s the resonance in responses like yours that reminds us why it matters. Deepest gratitude. 💛
The alarm has been ringing. This is just the loudest clearest voice for now. What you do, what we all do from here on out will set the course for our nation and our children and our children's children. We are at an historic crossroads, we either make the correct decisions now, knowing full well how costly they might be, or we can take the cowards way out. I do not want to live as a coward, I have never lived as a coward. I took the oath, I wore my country's uniform. I will be there until I draw my last breath. So help me God.
Daniel, your words carry the weight of lived commitment—and clarity. If more who took the oath also spoke with this kind of courage, the path forward might already be brighter. Thank you for standing tall and staying loud. We need every voice that remembers what that oath truly means.
I read everything Gloria posts. I don't always comment, sometimes my heart is cracking open.
The comment conversations between Jay and Gloria, from across a continent and an ocean speak volumes of willpower, love, words that spill into my heart and let some of the pain leak out to disappear into the mist.
Gloria writes the words I cannot, with grace and fury, an anger that swirls around and settles my fears, reminding me that I am not alone.
This conversation is invaluable and so beautifully crafted. And yet it's Gloria's heart and soul, expressions of knowledge and knowing that comfort me. Her glorious stubbornness is a balm for me.
I have the opportunity to meet Gloria in July for a brief moment and share a drink with her. Just enough time to say thank you and toast to still being here, still standing and still sorta kinda laughing. I look forward to it.
Morgan, I can not wait to meet you! Thank you for always sending kind and uplifting words my way. Jay’s questions brought out the best in me. Her interview style speaks to her mastery of information and pushing that knowledge to others. It is a rare and wonderful talent.
Gloria, your words mean the world. To witness how your writing reaches people like Morgan—with that much tenderness, truth, and recognition—is a kind of quiet awe I carry. And thank you for your kindness toward me. I asked the questions, yes—but only because you trusted me to hold the space. What you offered in return was raw, luminous, and deeply necessary. I’m honored to be part of that conversation, and even more honored to stand beside you as the storm keeps turning.
Morgan, your words are a thread of quiet resilience woven right into this moment. Thank you for seeing—and feeling—so much. What you described is exactly why this conversation exists: to remind us that we’re not alone, not even across oceans. That brief moment with Gloria in July will carry more weight than most speeches. I’ll be toasting alongside you, from afar—still here, still standing, still holding space for one another.
I read everything Gloria posts here on Substack. I fully understood that Gloria was shouting a storm warning from the top of the proverbial mountain. Her words set a fire an and chord of real fear in me. We cannot escape what’s happening right in front of our eyes.
And Jay, I also read your posts on Substack. I’m a fellow German; I came to America as a young child with my 3 sisters when my parents emigrated in 1955. I love Germany. I wish I could visit as I still have some relatives living in the Munich area. I was born in Stuttgart.
Annette, thank you—your words resonate deeply. I’m moved that both Gloria’s warning and my reflections reached you in that way. That shared thread between Stuttgart and where we are now feels especially poignant in this moment. Perhaps it’s that layered memory—of what has been lost before—that makes us see what’s at risk now with such clarity. I’m honored to share this space with you.
E. Jean, thanks so much! It all came together in a way that felt both meaningful and—strangely—fun. Talking with Gloria about these topics, diving into layers, checking and re-checking the facts… it was sparked by her powerful interpretation of truths already unfolding. And yes, I love the photo too!
Silence only helps the oppressor. The sheep are frightened of the wolf only to be eaten by the Shepard. The founding fathers were not silent in the face of oppression and neither should we.
Trevor, that’s powerfully said. Silence may feel like safety, but history shows it’s often complicity dressed in comfort. Your line about the sheep and the shepherd lands hard—especially now, when those claiming to “protect” are the ones rewriting the rules. The founding voices didn’t whisper; they risked everything to speak. "We the People" owe it to that legacy—and to each other—not to go quiet now.
Oh my Goodness, Gloria 💫the Stars have lined up at just such a moment for you and your Powerful Message. God bless you my friend, Bravo. We should all strive to be as brave, steadfast and true. I'm humbled and my heart is full of Hope after this Truth to Power read today. Sending you all my love and Admiration this afternoon, tomorrow and into the future, and as always, will reStack ASAP 🙏🌈
Karen, your words radiate exactly the kind of hope that reminds us why we keep going. Thank you for receiving Gloria’s message with such openhearted strength—and for lifting it higher with your restack and your spirit. This is how the light travels: one steady voice, received by another, until the whole sky starts to shift.
I felt like a fly on the wall with the privilege of reading this interview between you and Gloria, Wild Jay. Thank you for sharing it here. I loved how you asked her about leaving up a negative comment on the post, and she answered "free speech"!
Kaylen, thank you so much—what a beautiful way to put it. Gloria's response was so simple, so unshakable. That clarity, that integrity, is why her voice resonates the way it does. I'm grateful you were there with us.
Paul, thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. It means a great deal to know the conversation resonated. Gloria brought the fire—I'm just grateful I could help carry it forward. Here's to more dialogue that dares to name what's happening and dreams of what still can be.
Peter, thank you—Gloria’s line landed with me too, especially reading it here in Germany, where history has taught us how dangerous silence and waiting can become. “Speak up, and stop waiting for someone else to save us”—those aren’t just words. They’re a call to collective strength, the kind that transcends borders. We may be scattered across continents, but when we raise our voices together, we’re already shaping what comes next.
Prajna, thank you for this fierce, gorgeous reply. Your words read like wind at our backs—wild, clear, unapologetically alive. Gloria is a siren, and I’m just grateful to have been there to ask the questions that let her voice rise fully. Your line—“get dirty for those coming and do it loudly”—that’s the truth ringing in my bones. Thank you for meeting this reckoning with open eyes and an unshakable heart. I bow right back.
And anyways, my area of focus is all things related to women and disability. I’m still sorting out so many things to my writing in my life. Thank you to your friendship.
Prajna, thank you. I can absolutely understand your personal concern here—and your instinct to protect both your daughter and yourself. These are profoundly unsettling times. I've done deep research into the status of Women's Rights, Civil Rights, and Human Rights under this emerging regime, and the outlook is, frankly, beyond alarming. I've shared my findings with Gloria already, and I truly hope—whether through her work or possibly in a future collaboration—we can offer some much-needed clarity on what may lie ahead. You're not alone in this.
Ian, thank you for that deeply felt acknowledgment. Strong-willed, clear-thinking women have long carried truth through fire—and continue to do so, often without recognition. Your respect matters, and your words remind us that solidarity is strength. Here's to listening, amplifying, and standing together while there’s still time to shape what comes next.
Donna, thank you for meeting our work with such warmth and openness. Your willingness to be present, to reflect, and to listen is exactly what keeps conversations like this meaningful. It wasn’t about causing fear—it was about lighting a path through the fog, and I’m so grateful you saw that. Working with Gloria was a joy, and knowing it reached readers like you is a reminder that connection and clarity still carry power. Thank you for being part of it. ❤️
Gloria, these words of yours…’it rang with the cadence of erasure’…hit me right in my solar plexus! Having been raised in a cult-like religious setting, with a mother, bless her, who could freeze your soul with her skill of glossing everything over in ‘religious-speak’; I had to turn to the Religious liberty source & read it, just to see how it felt. And, yup! There was that ‘cadence of erasure’ you so eloquently named! Maybe one needs to have had some experience with that kind of smooth talk to be able to read between the lines, but I saw it, as you did; that smarmy double speak, haughtily assuming that (their version of) Christianity was the one true religion, the only one worth saving. And shoving it down everyone’s throats, whether we want it or not. The ‘One True Way’, blah blah blah. Listening to my Xtian Nationalist brother makes me just as sick to my stomach - he’s been ‘prophesying’ this for several years, in his ‘my God is the answer’ tone of voice. His xmas letter last December ended with something like, ‘No worries now, God has our country all in control now & will have his way! Praise be!’
All this to say, I totally believe with you that they think they’re going to wrap this all up by July 4, ‘26, if not sooner. Thank you for being brave and sticking to your ‘guns’ and pursuing this! We really do have to wake up & SOON!!! (P.S., our little Indivisible group is gonna make our first attempt at singing your Hallelujah tomorrow…🤞❣️)
Mike, your words land with clarity and weight—thank you. I concur: the danger isn’t invisible, it is well-dressed and often carefully deflected. Gloria didn’t just speak truth—she peeled back the curtain.
And yes, the threat might deepen when civil rights are rolled back quietly, policy by policy, until what once felt unthinkable becomes law. It’s voices like yours that help keep the light steady. Let’s not stop.
Thank you for lending me a corner of your wonderfully provocative Substack, where thoughts bounce freely, and America still means something worth arguing passionately about. And thank you, especially, for believing in my writing—because, let’s face it, writers without readers are just people muttering to themselves in a crowded digital room.
Gloria, what a gift your words are—on the page and in this space. You didn’t just borrow a corner; you expanded it. You brought clarity, urgency, and a voice that refuses to dim even when the room gets loud. If my Substack became a place where your storm could touch ground, I’m proud. And no, you’re not muttering—you’re resonating. Fiercely. Widely. Exactly when and where it matters most.
Thank you so very much, Jay.
Working on this piece with Gloria as co-author was not just a collaboration—it was a deep, resonant exchange of purpose. Her clarity, fire, and refusal to soften the truth made every step of the process feel urgent and alive. I was grateful, too, for the fact-checking I had done beforehand—it grounded the conversation and gave us room to speak boldly without losing balance. This wasn’t just writing. It was witnessing. And I’m honored to have done it side by side with her.
Jay, I can’t thank you enough. You are a godsend.
Namaste 🙏, dear Gloria. You are, too.
Thank you both for the clarity, bravery, courage and strength to stand for Truth, Integrity Honor and Justice. You are Heroines!!! 🙏
Thank you 🙏
Morgan, your words are a lantern—thank you for holding that light with us. Truth, integrity, honor, justice… they’re heavy to carry alone, but less so when voices like yours walk beside us. Gloria and I may have written it, yet it’s the resonance in responses like yours that reminds us why it matters. Deepest gratitude. 💛
The alarm has been ringing. This is just the loudest clearest voice for now. What you do, what we all do from here on out will set the course for our nation and our children and our children's children. We are at an historic crossroads, we either make the correct decisions now, knowing full well how costly they might be, or we can take the cowards way out. I do not want to live as a coward, I have never lived as a coward. I took the oath, I wore my country's uniform. I will be there until I draw my last breath. So help me God.
Daniel, your words carry the weight of lived commitment—and clarity. If more who took the oath also spoke with this kind of courage, the path forward might already be brighter. Thank you for standing tall and staying loud. We need every voice that remembers what that oath truly means.
Thank you, Daniel. i am humbled by your words.
I read everything Gloria posts. I don't always comment, sometimes my heart is cracking open.
The comment conversations between Jay and Gloria, from across a continent and an ocean speak volumes of willpower, love, words that spill into my heart and let some of the pain leak out to disappear into the mist.
Gloria writes the words I cannot, with grace and fury, an anger that swirls around and settles my fears, reminding me that I am not alone.
This conversation is invaluable and so beautifully crafted. And yet it's Gloria's heart and soul, expressions of knowledge and knowing that comfort me. Her glorious stubbornness is a balm for me.
I have the opportunity to meet Gloria in July for a brief moment and share a drink with her. Just enough time to say thank you and toast to still being here, still standing and still sorta kinda laughing. I look forward to it.
Morgan, I can not wait to meet you! Thank you for always sending kind and uplifting words my way. Jay’s questions brought out the best in me. Her interview style speaks to her mastery of information and pushing that knowledge to others. It is a rare and wonderful talent.
Gloria, your words mean the world. To witness how your writing reaches people like Morgan—with that much tenderness, truth, and recognition—is a kind of quiet awe I carry. And thank you for your kindness toward me. I asked the questions, yes—but only because you trusted me to hold the space. What you offered in return was raw, luminous, and deeply necessary. I’m honored to be part of that conversation, and even more honored to stand beside you as the storm keeps turning.
You are a bright light, Jay.
Morgan, your words are a thread of quiet resilience woven right into this moment. Thank you for seeing—and feeling—so much. What you described is exactly why this conversation exists: to remind us that we’re not alone, not even across oceans. That brief moment with Gloria in July will carry more weight than most speeches. I’ll be toasting alongside you, from afar—still here, still standing, still holding space for one another.
Morgan is a gift, Jay.
I read everything Gloria posts here on Substack. I fully understood that Gloria was shouting a storm warning from the top of the proverbial mountain. Her words set a fire an and chord of real fear in me. We cannot escape what’s happening right in front of our eyes.
And Jay, I also read your posts on Substack. I’m a fellow German; I came to America as a young child with my 3 sisters when my parents emigrated in 1955. I love Germany. I wish I could visit as I still have some relatives living in the Munich area. I was born in Stuttgart.
🇩🇪🇺🇸
Annette, thank you—your words resonate deeply. I’m moved that both Gloria’s warning and my reflections reached you in that way. That shared thread between Stuttgart and where we are now feels especially poignant in this moment. Perhaps it’s that layered memory—of what has been lost before—that makes us see what’s at risk now with such clarity. I’m honored to share this space with you.
Thank you, Annette, for your kind words.
Wonderful! And I love the photo!!
Jay masterminded the whole process. She is a powerhouse.
Thank you. 🙏 The no eyelashes look is all the rage for the year in 1603. I’m bringing it back.
E. Jean, thanks so much! It all came together in a way that felt both meaningful and—strangely—fun. Talking with Gloria about these topics, diving into layers, checking and re-checking the facts… it was sparked by her powerful interpretation of truths already unfolding. And yes, I love the photo too!
Silence only helps the oppressor. The sheep are frightened of the wolf only to be eaten by the Shepard. The founding fathers were not silent in the face of oppression and neither should we.
Well. Neither one of us are quiet about anything! And, Jay clatters around as well. LOL
Trevor, that’s powerfully said. Silence may feel like safety, but history shows it’s often complicity dressed in comfort. Your line about the sheep and the shepherd lands hard—especially now, when those claiming to “protect” are the ones rewriting the rules. The founding voices didn’t whisper; they risked everything to speak. "We the People" owe it to that legacy—and to each other—not to go quiet now.
Oh my Goodness, Gloria 💫the Stars have lined up at just such a moment for you and your Powerful Message. God bless you my friend, Bravo. We should all strive to be as brave, steadfast and true. I'm humbled and my heart is full of Hope after this Truth to Power read today. Sending you all my love and Admiration this afternoon, tomorrow and into the future, and as always, will reStack ASAP 🙏🌈
Karen, your words radiate exactly the kind of hope that reminds us why we keep going. Thank you for receiving Gloria’s message with such openhearted strength—and for lifting it higher with your restack and your spirit. This is how the light travels: one steady voice, received by another, until the whole sky starts to shift.
I felt like a fly on the wall with the privilege of reading this interview between you and Gloria, Wild Jay. Thank you for sharing it here. I loved how you asked her about leaving up a negative comment on the post, and she answered "free speech"!
Kaylen, thank you so much—what a beautiful way to put it. Gloria's response was so simple, so unshakable. That clarity, that integrity, is why her voice resonates the way it does. I'm grateful you were there with us.
Thanks to Jay & Gloria for this conversation. What a brilliant read!
Paul, thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. It means a great deal to know the conversation resonated. Gloria brought the fire—I'm just grateful I could help carry it forward. Here's to more dialogue that dares to name what's happening and dreams of what still can be.
Valuable conversation, Jay. Thank you!
I’m asking readers to wake up, speak up, and stop waiting for someone else to save us.
I love this line Gloria speak up, and stop waiting for someone to save us is so true. We are absolutely stronger collectively.
Peter, thank you—Gloria’s line landed with me too, especially reading it here in Germany, where history has taught us how dangerous silence and waiting can become. “Speak up, and stop waiting for someone else to save us”—those aren’t just words. They’re a call to collective strength, the kind that transcends borders. We may be scattered across continents, but when we raise our voices together, we’re already shaping what comes next.
Complacency the death knell to democracy. I don’t delete what’s make me uncomfortable.
OMG this is so good. You ask great questions: all three.
She’s a siren, a needed one.
Refusal to roll over.
Get dirty for those coming and do it loudly.
The cost: loneliness, losing every woman I’ve ever loved.
So inspiring, chilling, real.
F K life boats for upper dopeheads.
Thank you Jay. You are the best. I appreciate and bow to this reckoning.
Prajna, thank you for this fierce, gorgeous reply. Your words read like wind at our backs—wild, clear, unapologetically alive. Gloria is a siren, and I’m just grateful to have been there to ask the questions that let her voice rise fully. Your line—“get dirty for those coming and do it loudly”—that’s the truth ringing in my bones. Thank you for meeting this reckoning with open eyes and an unshakable heart. I bow right back.
It was one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve heard that makes me want to do better
Thank you, Prajna. I really appreciate that notion, yet I feel not that there is a need to DO BETTER. You do what is available to you at the moment.
So sweet and kind. I love you.
And anyways, my area of focus is all things related to women and disability. I’m still sorting out so many things to my writing in my life. Thank you to your friendship.
Prajna, thank you. I can absolutely understand your personal concern here—and your instinct to protect both your daughter and yourself. These are profoundly unsettling times. I've done deep research into the status of Women's Rights, Civil Rights, and Human Rights under this emerging regime, and the outlook is, frankly, beyond alarming. I've shared my findings with Gloria already, and I truly hope—whether through her work or possibly in a future collaboration—we can offer some much-needed clarity on what may lie ahead. You're not alone in this.
Yes! I'm with you.
If our nation is to be saved it is women, strong willed, clear thinking women, women such as yourself who do it.
You have my respect.
.
Thank you, Ian. I appreciate your faith in all of us.
Ian, thank you for that deeply felt acknowledgment. Strong-willed, clear-thinking women have long carried truth through fire—and continue to do so, often without recognition. Your respect matters, and your words remind us that solidarity is strength. Here's to listening, amplifying, and standing together while there’s still time to shape what comes next.
Gloria and Jay, thank you both for such a wonderful, well structured and eye opening piece.
Gloria I’m so sorry that you were attacked. I was unaware until I read this interview.
It should not have happened. Some of us do need to be shocked, shaken to wake us at times and I’m one of those.
Thank you so much for caring enough to reach out and warn us.
Best wishes.❤️
It is a combination of really good, solid people who are just plain scared and MAGA cultists.
I admire your objectivity and ability to give people the benefit of the doubt.
Donna, thank you for meeting our work with such warmth and openness. Your willingness to be present, to reflect, and to listen is exactly what keeps conversations like this meaningful. It wasn’t about causing fear—it was about lighting a path through the fog, and I’m so grateful you saw that. Working with Gloria was a joy, and knowing it reached readers like you is a reminder that connection and clarity still carry power. Thank you for being part of it. ❤️
Sweet words, thank you, Jay.
‘…it rang with the cadence of erasure’. Gloria, these words
Gloria, these words of yours…’it rang with the cadence of erasure’…hit me right in my solar plexus! Having been raised in a cult-like religious setting, with a mother, bless her, who could freeze your soul with her skill of glossing everything over in ‘religious-speak’; I had to turn to the Religious liberty source & read it, just to see how it felt. And, yup! There was that ‘cadence of erasure’ you so eloquently named! Maybe one needs to have had some experience with that kind of smooth talk to be able to read between the lines, but I saw it, as you did; that smarmy double speak, haughtily assuming that (their version of) Christianity was the one true religion, the only one worth saving. And shoving it down everyone’s throats, whether we want it or not. The ‘One True Way’, blah blah blah. Listening to my Xtian Nationalist brother makes me just as sick to my stomach - he’s been ‘prophesying’ this for several years, in his ‘my God is the answer’ tone of voice. His xmas letter last December ended with something like, ‘No worries now, God has our country all in control now & will have his way! Praise be!’
All this to say, I totally believe with you that they think they’re going to wrap this all up by July 4, ‘26, if not sooner. Thank you for being brave and sticking to your ‘guns’ and pursuing this! We really do have to wake up & SOON!!! (P.S., our little Indivisible group is gonna make our first attempt at singing your Hallelujah tomorrow…🤞❣️)
Thank you for sharing your personal story. Scary times are coming.
Mike, your words land with clarity and weight—thank you. I concur: the danger isn’t invisible, it is well-dressed and often carefully deflected. Gloria didn’t just speak truth—she peeled back the curtain.
And yes, the threat might deepen when civil rights are rolled back quietly, policy by policy, until what once felt unthinkable becomes law. It’s voices like yours that help keep the light steady. Let’s not stop.
Thank you 🙏
I agree but with great sadness.