In the wake of a night we never expected, we have all been broken. We have all found ourselves in this state of mind, where we are stuck somewhere between horror and disbelief at the country we call home. It was not even a month ago that we all raced to the polls, cast our votes and rushed home to sit back and watch the election of our first female president.
It was at 3:30 in the morning, that we sat awake, eyes burning from lack of sleep, that we watched in horror as a man who we believed to be completely unqualified and unsuitable for office, was elected over such a powerful, overachieving, QUALIFIED woman. And for what reason?
We all had that moment, when we found out the results. We hugged the closest person to us. Some of us cried. Some of us were physically sick. Some of us were just left in a moment of pure shock. But one thing was for sure: We were all confused by how the nation that we love could fail us in such a way.
Sleeping didn’t fix anything. This wasn’t just a dream. This was our reality, and it was only going to get worse.
I remember scrolling through social media that morning, reading about the hate crimes that had happened in only the few hours after the election had been called. I was sick, horrified, disgusted with this nation, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone.
We, the people, who supported the “Nasty Woman,” had been let down in the most unimaginable way. The fog over all of us has lasted since that night of the election. There have been protests and riots and nothing that we have done has been able to help the way we feel inside. We Hillary supporters, no matter what race, gender or sexuality, feel unjustified. We feel as though our rights do not matter to the public. We feel as though we are being set back decades, and for what other reason? Because we “weren’t ready” for a female president?
As sad as the past few weeks have been, I am here to tell you, the Hillary supporters out there, that you are not alone. We need to come together to support one another, to love one another and most importantly, to protect one another. The next four years are going to bring a mass amount of struggles, tests and challenges, but if we stand together, we will be at our strongest.
For the members of the LGBTQ+ community, I want you to know that I support you, and I will stand up for your rights, our rights. We will all stand by your side, to protect you and respect you through whatever may come our way in the near future. You are loved.
For the people of color, I want you to know that I support you. I will stand for your rights as if they were my own. We, the Nasty Women of the world, will stand by you and help you achieve the rights you deserve, no matter what comes our way in the next four years. You are loved.
For my fellow women out there, I want you to know that I support you. I want you all to know that I will fight for our rights until I have no more fight left in me. I will not abandon another woman in need, no matter what journey the next four years takes us on. You are loved.
To Hillary supporters who are not in any of these communities, I would like to thank you on behalf of all of the members of the aforementioned communities. Thank you for believing in our rights and fighting for what matters in the world. Thank you for not believing in sexism, racism or being homophobic. Thank you for continuing to stand with us, even when you do not have to. Thank you for using your privilege to help boost others, promote others and make us feel as though we matter. We appreciate you. You are loved.
Remember, during the next four years, that people love you, and that you are capable of giving love. Remember that if we stand together, we can withstand more than if we stand alone. It is okay to seek help and it is okay to lean on each other for support and guidance.
I would like to leave you with this: Do not surrender your rights because you do not believe you can keep fighting; for every person who wants to fight against you, there is always someone who is willing to fight with you and for you.