The results of the 2016 election have left me feeling physically ill. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as a woman, my rights are at stake. My rights should not in any way be worth less than someone's opinions or views. As I've watched people process the results of the election, I've watched genuine fear in everyday life. I really never expected this to happen, but it has.
This would not have happened if people had thought about someone other than themselves. People wrote in "Harambe" and "Hennessy" for president. This was not the year to mess around, this was not the year for a protest vote, this was not the year for any of it. This election put hate and fear at the forefront, and I am appalled that we as a nation chose to not only allow it but to elect the man responsible.
Because of all of this, real people are facing a terrible outcome. The LGBTQ+ community is facing the loss of marriage equality and conversion therapy. Women are facing the loss of their reproductive autonomy and the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and Planned Parenthood has already seen a rise in the demand for IUDs. Immigrants are facing deportation, and their children are facing the loss of their parents and families. Diane Guerrero, an actress of "Orange is the New Black" and "Jane the Virgin" fame spoke out about losing her entire family, and the pictures of her watching the election are even more emotional after watching that interview. This is not something that is abstractly terrifying; real people are facing discrimination and hate.
When I started writing this article, I couldn't keep myself together for any significant amount of time. I was crying hourly. I cried watching Hillary's concession speech. I cried reading the letter from Leslie Knope that one of the "Parks and Recreation" writers wrote. I cried watching Chelsea Handler's episode from right after the election. Honestly, it's going to be a long time before thinking about this election doesn't make me cry. I don't think I'll ever be able to see Hillary's concession speech without crying.
Now, though, now I'm angry. I'm angry that I and many other people in this country are so afraid for rights that should never be in question. I'm angry that the citizens of this nation put us in this position. I'm angry that the people around me don't understand why I'm upset, why I'm angry. I'm not senselessly angry, though. I'm going to use this anger to fight for my rights, for the rights of others who are afraid. That's all that I can do now, and so it's what I'm going to do.
