It is the week after the country we love elected a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic administration to rule. Marginalized people and communities all over our country are afraid of the very real consequences that we will face in the next four years and after. We are sad, afraid, angry, depressed, and some have lost faith in humanity. We have had old straight, cis-gender white men ruling since the birth of this country and we need more diverse voices and minds at the decision making levels and this administration will not promote that. This has huge ramifications for so many of us and we are scrambling to figure out how to protect our families and ourselves. How we go from a president who promotes kindness to one that condones hate is beyond me. We are not fine with this.
After we take a breath what do we do with the energy of our anger and disappointment? I will tell you what we do. We unite like never before! All of us that are marginalized, UNITE! The lesbian who just got through a battle with cancer and Obamacare literally saved her life. The Muslim family who is thankful to be in America and works hard at several jobs to take care of their families. The rape victim who wants the right to have an abortion and who is devastated that we have elected a sexual predator. The gay couple who is not sure if their marriage will still be legally valid. Mexican’s who are in the US to find a better life with their children. The person of color who has already been living in fear of just walking down our streets and now is facing a president who wants to promote using more force. The transgender person who wants protections for jobs and to just use a public bathroom. Immigrants who struggled to get here to try and have a better life for their families. Native American’s who want their land and water to be protected. We are all marginalized people and we can stand strong together.
Each marginalized part of our community can not and should not do this alone. We have strength when we understand that we are one. The marginalized have to be one united group standing arm in arm when they come for our rights. When they come for the gay couple’s marriage we all stand for love together. When they come for the Native American’s water and land, we all stand arm linked in arm as one. When they come for women’s reproductive rights, men and women of all of these marginalized groups stand united and say NO. When they come to deport our Muslim and Mexican friends, we stand with them as one community. When they try to kick lgbtq people out of our military we stand together and demand that they have the same opportunities as others. When our justice system thinks it is acceptable to treat people of color different than whites we stand as one with them. When we have a President-elect who supports stop and frisk laws that disproportionately threaten people of color we cannot stand by silently we must demand change.
Here are some real things you and I can do to make it better.
- Invite someone who is in a marginalized group over for dinner or drinks and let them know you are an ally. Check in on them
- Smile and when in public places talk with people who are not like you
- Speak up when anyone around you is using hate speech or making jokes about marginalized people.
- Listen to people who are not like you and are in marginalized groups. Really listen to their fears and concerns.
- Volunteer for organizations that do work in areas like; women’s rights, the environment, immigrants, food banks, lgbtq rights
- Get on the mailing lists for your Senator and Representatives so that you keep up on what they are doing and write in or call when you have an opinion about issues they will be voting on.
- About half of our citizens that could vote did not vote, help get people registered before the next elections.
- Most police departments have a local citizen based commission or board of people who advise them. Get involved and hold police accountable for use of force but also help build bridges between your community and your local police.
I believe the only way survive this is to unite. To put aside any in fighting within marginalized groups and really unite. We have to STOP the”Oppression Olympics”.This is not a competition to see who is the most marginalized it is time to STAND TOGETHER! To lean on one another, support one another, stand in solidarity with each other, watch each other’s backs. We will all go through waves of hard days, and days certain groups of us are targeted. On those days we will need others from marginalized communities and allies to hold us up. This fight will take a great deal of energy, emotional and physical. Having a strong sense of community support is imperative for us to make it through this. Lets put aside our nit picky differences and band together. We are safer together. Unity is strength.