Sounding Off with Karen

Published in the July 2026 Edition
By Karen Kendra Holmes

Welcome to “Sounding OFF with Karen.” My pronouns are she/her/hers, and I will be your writer and advocate for this column. I am very happy to be writing for Maryland OUTLoud Magazine.

Last year, while helping my mother organize her taxes, I discovered that she had made donations to 69 different organizations, totaling $10,000. At the time, my mother was 88 years old, and she will be 89 this year. I asked her over and over why she was donating to some of these organizations, and her answer was always, “I don’t know.” I told her that from that point on, I would go through the mail and help decide which organizations she would donate to, and she agreed.

Since then, as I have gone through the mail, I have noticed that many of these organizations send small items such as a nickel, three nickels, a dime, quarters, a dollar bill, shopping bags with designs, and even a check for $1.50. Some also send return address labels with her name on them, notepads, and other small gifts. Here is what bothers me: if these organizations are asking for donations anywhere from $10 to $100, why are they spending money printing and mailing items - or even sending money - just to ask for money back? I would respect them more if they simply asked for a donation without all the extras. I used to work in sales, and it always made more sense to give people something after they bought my product as a thank-you.

Now, an anonymous reader wrote in saying they are tired of this administration and FOX News constantly talking about the transgender community - especially about trans women participating in cisgender women’s sports. If you have listened to my podcast, “The Fireplace Chat,” you know I have said over and over that no one seems to complain about trans men playing in cisgender men’s sports. If a transgender woman is taking hormones over time, she can lose a significant amount of strength. I know that when I started taking hormones, within seven months I had already lost a lot of my strength, and by the end of my first year, my testosterone level was almost zero. Once I had my surgery in 2016, it was zero. So, if transgender women are being tested regularly and their testosterone is low, I do not see why they should not be allowed to participate in cisgender women’s sports.

Another supporter of my column wrote that this administration is not paying enough attention to what war has done to our economy - gas prices, food costs, and overall living expenses. This supporter said that some, though not all, Republicans do not have the courage to stand up to President Trump (#47). In their view, he is not thinking about the American people, but only about himself and his wealthy allies. They pointed to examples such as wanting his name on everything - the Kennedy Center, an arch leading into Arlington Cemetery, a $250 bill with his face and signature on it, and changes to the base of the reflecting pool. They also said one of the worst ideas was holding a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. This writer added that when they were a federal employee, they could never have gotten away with even a fraction of what #47 is getting away with now.

I am glad that many judges are not allowing some of the things #47 is doing - or trying to do - every day. I hope that when Democrats take back the House and Senate, things will begin to feel normal again. Most of all, I look forward to seeing a Democratic president win back the White House in 2028, so that the Constitution can be restored in this country. Right now, we need faith and hope - hope that we will stop moving backward and start moving forward again, with love conquering all the hate that is happening around us.

In April 2026, I published a memoir that is available on Amazon. For forty years, I lived between two truths. From the age of thirteen to fifty-three, I wrestled quietly with identity, faith, and fear - praying for clarity while struggling with the decision to live openly as my true self. In this deeply personal memoir, I share my journey from Tony to Karen, not as a rejection of my past, but as an affirmation of who I have always been.

My transition did not change my values, my faith, or my commitment to service; it revealed them more fully. I wrote this book with honesty and compassion. It speaks to transgender and nonbinary readers seeking reflection and courage, and to cisgender readers seeking understanding. It is a testament to authenticity, resilience, and living one’s truth. This is not the end of my story; it is the beginning of living it fully each day. My journey has not stopped - it continues every single day.

You can find my memoir on Amazon under Karen Holmes or by searching for “40 Years and Wandering No More.”

If you have anything you like to sound off about, please send you comments to my email address: karen@marylandoutloud.com. You can also catch me on my podcast on Fridays “The Fireplace Chat” at 3pm E.S.T. on Facebook live under Karen Kendra Holmes. Until next time Sound OFF with Karen. Until next time stay safe out there!