In The Wake of Trump’s Election – New Fears & New Hopes

I grew up being told that, as a woman, I could do anything in this world. I could do anything I set my mind to. And on November 8, 2016 I watched millions of Americans say that that was, in fact, not true.

Hillary Clinton, a passionate, dedicated, qualified woman lost to Donald Trump. And you can spin it any way you want, but the truth is this: if Hillary Clinton was a man, she would have won in a landslide. But women in this world aren’t allowed to make mistakes. They aren’t allowed to have opinions and they definitely aren’t allowed to run countries. Even when the other option is an ignorant, power-hungry, racist, transphobic, homophobic, moronic reality TV star.

As a woman, I’m offended and ashamed to think about what this tells all the little girls in the world. How it tells them they can be a hundred times better and still not good enough. How it tells them that they’re not worth it just because of their gender. How it tells them that nothing they do is ever going to be good enough. How it shows that world that the United States of America – one of the most powerful countries in the world – can be even more backwards when it comes to women than third world countries.

But if you think the worst part of this is what it says about women, to women, then you’re wrong.

Think of what this says to LGBTQ+ youth. (We don’t care about you.)

Think what it says to people of colour. (We don’t stand with you.)

Think about what it says to the countless other minorities that Trump has insulted, devalued, and promised to rid America of. (You’re less than human.)

I am afraid for every woman who now lives in a country where the President has openly admitted to sexual assault.

I am sad for every LGBTQ+ person who saw the election results and had yet another reason to add to their list of why they can’t come out. I am scared for every LGBTQ+ person who acts “stereotypically gay” and will be in danger. I am terrified for every out and open LGBTQ+ person who now has to worry about everyone they pass on the street and fear that they might get sent to a conversion camp.

I stand with every person of colour who now fears for their life even more than they might have before.

I feel for every Muslim woman too afraid to wear her hijab today. I feel for everyone of any religion who decided today that it was too dangerous to show their affiliation in what’s supposed to be a free country.

For every other minority I’ve missed, I feel your pain, your fear, your outrage. I can’t imagine living in a country that just proved that it doesn’t care about you and that it doesn’t take responsibility for what happens to you.

Now, more than ever, white people of privilege have to understand their position in the world. They need to understand what’s given to them and what they’re protected from. As Canadians, we need to stand with everyone who is now in a position of oppression in America. We need to stand as a beacon of support, of safety, and of hope.

But more than that, we need to make sure that Americans don’t see this election as a reason to give up. There are more elections coming – vote Democratic in 2018 when the House and the Senate are re-electing. Fight for the media to cover every trial Trump is currently involved in and to make a big deal of it. Pray for and fight for impeachment. This is not the time to give up; this is the time to fight.

So what are my hopes? My hope is that America comes together on this and doesn’t fall apart. My hope is that people fight for their rights, don’t let them fall by the wayside. My hope is that minority groups all over the country find common ground and stop fighting against each other in order to fight with each other. My hope is that people find a way to stay safe, to stay positive, and to believe in people even when it seems like so many people are awful.

I’m with you. We’re all with you.

Try your best to look at the positive.