I’m not going to mince words. There's a trigger warning for derogatory language and expressions of violence.

I’ll keep it short since, luckily, we’re seeing a lot of the same writings out there right now. And thank my nonexistent God for that, because it’s people like you and like me that are going to keep letting the world know that things are getting worse but we can help make it beautiful. It’s been hard since the results of the election. Whether you like it or not, many LGBTQ+ members are fearing for their safety. African Americans are fearing for their safety. Latinx people are fearing for their safety. Muslims are fearing for their safety. Women are fearing for their safety. Regardless of your political standing, regardless of who you voted for, the fact remains that people are scared. Their fear needs to be addressed and supported by allies and community members alike.

Friday night, only days after the election, I attended an event on my college campus consisting mostly of LGBTQ+ members and other minorities, including women and people of colour. Over five campus organizations came together, including Geneseo’s Black Students Union, the Pride Alliance, the Latino Students Union, the Women’s Action Coalition, ACE, Students Against Social Injustice, and countless students that weren’t in any organization and simply wanted to show their support. Over 100 people showed up to share stories and feelings on the election.

On facebook, this event was titled, Come Together, Cry Together, Stand Together. So many people came to the event, that they had to move the location to a larger space in order to accommodate the mass influx of support for one another. Even allies that weren’t able to make it to the event posted warmly in the facebook group, either showing their support or apologizing profusely for not being able to attend. The event had the following description on facebook and I think it summarized the experience very well:

“It is times like these where people of all backgrounds need to come together and stand strong. Let us come together, cry together, and hold each other. Whether you want to come to support, to laugh with others, or to cry your damn eyes out. Come out and let us remember why we continue to fight for our rights.”

The event started with people filing into the room, sitting in seats laid out in a large circle so we could all see each other. When we ran out of chairs, people stood or sat on the floor. One student opened the floor, arms outspread and emphasized that we were all equal in his welcome speech to the group. Before we continued, he invited another student to speak to the crowd and she led us through a number of breathing exercises, knowing that stress was high among the members in the room. From there, we split into smaller groups and students were able to tell their stories. How they felt during the election. What happened to them after. What we are hoping will happen in the future.

Many people had similar feelings to one another. We felt betrayed, shocked, and numb from the stories told in that circle. Some people cried. Others yelled. Many gasped from shock. The issue isn’t that Trump was elected. The real issue is that his supporters can now justify being racist, culturally insensitive, and misogynistically bigoted with the support of the president-elect behind them. Trump ran a campaign that targeted minorities. Whether you like it or not, families fear deportation, women are worried about their reproductive rights, POC are being targeted and enduring racial slurs and violence.

One girl was called a faggot while she was overheard when on the phone with her mother talking about the election.

Another girl had her turban ripped off of her head because the aggressors claimed she was hiding a bomb beneath it.

A Haitian immigrant’s best friend for over a decade broke ties with her and blocked her on every form of social media, including text and calling because she voted for Hillary.

An African immigrant worries that her family members won’t be able to make it back into the U.S even though they’re legal citizens here.

African Americans are being called "niggers" as they walk to class.

An RA, someone who works to ensure the safety and well-being of the students residing in her dorm, woke up to find a swastika drawn outside her door, not three days after the election.

I don’t want to hear about how these racist assholes were going to commit these atrocities whether Trump was elected or not. They might have, sure. But they’ve been emboldened. Their actions are justified now. I’m not saying that every person to vote for Trump shares his attitude toward minorities. But they’re okay with electing someone that does feel this way and it’s a huge cause for concern. Why is this okay?

So, how do we deal with this? After students shared their stories and their concerns, the groups came back together, squeezing into one classroom until we could hear the sighs of the person next to us. This event wasn’t created to form an echo chamber of thoughts and fears. Yes, we hoped that sharing our stories would alleviate some of the negative emotions that have been burning within us. We wanted to let loose the fire in our chests and proclaim that we matter. But we surged on, planning events that will hopefully lead to a campus-wide dialogue. We talked about incorporating safe spaces for minorities and using a buddy system whenever someone has to walk alone. We talked about attending protests in local cities like Rochester and Buffalo. We will show our support for each other no matter what.

I’m a white, cis-gendered, straight female. I fear getting my reproductive rights taken away but now that Obama is trying to guarantee the funding for Planned Parenthood, I can worry a little less. A little. But I don’t need to fear walking down the street. I don’t need to worry about a rock hitting my face because I’m wearing a turban. I don’t have to keep my head low because I have dark skin.

It might not be happening to you, but it’s happening and it's our job as writers, as activists, as humans to support each other. Even in a blue state like NY, these acts are being committed right here.

I guess I lied when I said this would be a shorter article. But we need to be aware.