Welcome to the latest puzzle in my ongoing series, Eyes Open, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and other civil rights protests.

The puzzle I intended to post today wasn’t ready for print, unfortunately. But thankfully, inspiration struck in the form of a woman who made history this week, and hopefully will do so again in a few months.

I know that this individual can be a controversial figure based on your own personal beliefs, particularly with regard to some of the laws she has sponsored in the past — one of which is mentioned in this puzzle — but there is no denying that her influence, character, and spirit are worthy of celebration in crossword form.

There’s no trick or gimmick to this grid. It’s a straightforward exploration of an intriguing individual at a crucial moment in our country’s history, populated with some details about her career.

I hope this puzzle serves to both engage you as a solver and encourage you to learn more about this fascinating individual on your own.

[Click this link to download a PDF of this puzzle.]

If you have suggestions for more topics for me to cover in future puzzles, please let me know. If you’re a person of color and you’d like to share a puzzle of your own, or to collaborate with me on a puzzle, please let me know.

If you’re a member of the LGBTQ community, and you have ideas, please let me know. If you’re a trans person, or a non-binary individual, and you feel underrepresented in puzzles, please let me know.

I would like this to become something bigger, but hopefully, this is at the very least a start.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for standing up, speaking up, and fighting the good fight.

Support LGBTQIA+ people.
Believe women.
Black lives matter.