It has been almost a week since the election. Most of us have experienced various emotions since we learned the results. I’m sure many are asking “What next?” I have some thoughts to share on this unexpected turn of events…
This is not the time to sit back and wait for the inauguration to happen. They are not waiting. Even now, Republicans in Congress are working to give him the power to rescind the non-profit status of any non-profit he doesn’t like. His likely targets would be any non-profit that helps the homeless, that helps women, that helps the LGBTQI+ community, or that helps immigrants. That would also include any church that is not Christian, or that doesn’t follow his wishes. Losing the non-profit status would mean the end of government funding, more difficulty in fundraising, having to pay taxes on all income, and will ultimately cause many needed organizations to go under.
This is not the time to chastise those who voted for him. They will, in time, see their error. They will get the government they deserve, and they will suffer the consequences. This is also not the time for me to sit here and rehash all the bad stuff that’s yet to come. We know what they want to do, and we have an idea of how they will try to do it.
It is also not the time to cower in fear, to let the potential disasters that lie ahead of us paralyze us. If you are a member of the LGBTQI+ community, this is NOT the time to go back into the Rainbow Closet, nor is it the time for our allies to abandon us. If you are a Pagan or Witch, this is NOT the time to back into the broom closet.
Indeed, this is the time to be UNBEARABLY who you are. DO NOT conform. DO NOT bend for your intolerant relatives. This is the time to FIGHT.
We have seen, by watching other democracies that have transitioned to authoritarianism, that they will push us to see how far they can go and to discover where they will get push-back from the people. They will test the waters and focus their efforts on the easiest path to gain the ground they have targeted. We have also seen that once they gain that ground, it is exponentially harder to get it back. This is why we MUST stand and challenge them at every turn.
So, what do we do next? Surround yourself with allies that you can count on. Be your true self and stay out of the closet. If you’re in the closet, consider coming out. Your community needs you. Join something… a local activist group, or a national organization like HRC or ACLU. They need you and they need your financial support, too.
Call your LGBTQI+ friends to make sure they’re ok, and be there to support them. Contact your Pagan/Witch friends to check on them, too. Reach out to the women in your life to see what you can do to help them because they are also targets of the incoming administration. Reach out to your local agencies that help the homeless, the elderly, or crisis/suicide hotlines and support them in any way you can, even if it’s just a donation of clothes, food, or money. All of it is needed and all of it helps.
Find out how your local and state government plans to respond to the coming administration and find out what your local resources are in case you, or someone you love, needs them.
Allies… we need you now more than ever and we need to know you are in this for the long haul. If you are an ally, there are organizations out there like PFLAG, ACLU, HRC, The Trevor Project, and The Rainbow Railroad that you can join to maximize your efforts.
Don’t rely on the “It’s only 4 years” trope, because he has said many times “If you elect me, you’ll never have to vote again.” We can’t count on another election cycle. We can’t count on free and fair elections any longer. And we certainly can’t count on any elections that do happen having any meaning at all (look at Russia, for example). It’s up to every one of us that values our rights, freedoms, and liberties to fight for them. It’s up to us to defend our Constitution and our Democracy.
Are you ready?