Like many of you, I’m feeling an array of emotions in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Sadness, fear, uncertainty. But despite the legitimate sadness I’m feeling, I refuse to give in to despair. You see, today, my brothers, sisters and other kin, I am fired up.
I’m a member of the LGBTQ community. We know a thing or two about defeat, sadness, and electoral upset. We watched our trans sisters of color beaten on the streets at Stonewall in 1969. We gazed in horror as thousands died of HIV/AIDS in the 80s when President Reagan made the conscious decision to do nothing. We witnessed state after state pass amendments to their constitutions denying us the right to marry the people we love. And we still watch as reactionary forces around this country seek to restrict our hard-won rights, as will likely happen in the wake of Trump’s election.
But despite all this hardship, the LGBTQ community has always endured. Instead of giving into despair, we organized. Instead of giving up, we fought back. Instead of rolling over, we stood up! And although we have a long way to go, we’ve made significant progress over the past several years.
And it is with that sense of determination that I muster from my own community that I bring this message of hope to you all. It’s easy to give in to despair. It’s easy to point fingers. It’s easy to retreat into ourselves and allow ourselves to be defined by our defeat. What takes courage is not giving in to sadness, unifying the movement, organizing, and reaching out to build effective coalitions going forward.
This work will not be easy. Trump’s election has re-legitimized racism, bigotry, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, misogyny, jingoism, and hatred the scale of which has not been seen in a very long time. These are the forces against which we will be fighting, and it is critical that we unite under one banner in opposition to these forces. We need to recognize the intersectionality of our goals – that although our organizations may have ultimately different missions in mind, we can work together towards common goals based on the principle of mutual solidarity.
I believe in my heart of hearts that the enthusiasm being harnessed now, if channeled correctly, will propel us to victory in the future! Now, let the fight begin!