Stop telling me to accept the results of this election without putting up a fight. Stop telling me that we have to unite and spread love during this transition, rather than increasing the divide by expressing our fear and anger. Stop telling me that I’m being dramatic. Stop telling me how I should feel and what I should do with those feelings.

I am disappointed and angry, but beyond that, I’m scared. I’m a bisexual woman and Donald Trump is America’s next president. The man who admitted to sexually assaulting women is going to lead this country. On top of that, the man who supports conversion therapy and all possible restrictions on reproductive rights will be second in command. In 2 months, these men will represent our country, but they will not represent me or my best interests. In their eyes, my very existence is less valuable than theirs, and that is a very frightening reality to face.

One significant privilege that I have and must acknowledge is my skin color. Amid the fear that I face due to my gender and sexuality, I know that I am safe as a white person. I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels to be a person of color, knowing that Trump and people like Trump will soon lead the country. The KKK and other white supremacists support Trump, and Trump in turn supports those white supremacists. It disgusts me that America has given the highest position in the country to a man who is so obviously racist and hateful towards a large percentage of the American population.

This reality is very unsettling and it directly affects millions of people. Therefore, we aren’t going to sit down, shut up, and just accept the results of this election and ultimately, the future of this nation. We’ve decided to do something and make our voices heard through protests. Trump supporters have condemned these protests, but have they forgotten how they reacted when Obama was elected? They were protesting, marching, and saying hateful things, telling Obama to “go back to where he came from.”

The first amendment gives us the right to protest and we are merely exercising that right. We have an obligation to our community and future generations to do everything we can to prevent a man like Trump from being in office. Spreading love is a nice thought, but I can’t worry about focusing on love and unity when people’s basic human rights are being threatened. Now is the time for fighting and doing anything we can to protect our freedom. The act of protesting is powerful and it is capable of bringing about change. As Malcolm X once said, “So early in my life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise”, and I think that this continues to ring true.