HRC Statement on the Election of Donald Trump: Our March Toward Equality Continues:
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) issued the following statement on the election of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
"Throughout our nation's history, we've faced devastating setbacks in our pursuit of a more perfect union. But even in the darkest of moments, Americans have summoned the courage and persistence to fight on. The results of tonight's presidential election require us to meet tomorrow with the same resolve and determination.
"This is a crucial moment for our nation and for the LGBTQ movement. The election of a man who stands opposed to our most fundamental values has left us all stunned. There will be time to analyze the results of this election, but we ca nnot afford to dwell. We must meet these challenges head on.
"Over the last 18 months, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have intentionally sowed fear and division for cynical political purposes. They now face a decision about whether they will also govern that way. We hope, for the sake of our nation and our diverse community which includes women, people of color, those with disabilities, immigrants, and people of all faiths and traditions they will choose a different path.
"For our part, HRC will continue our fight for equality and justice for all with greater urgency and determination than ever before. We must. Lives literally depend on it.
"Despite the outcome of this presidential race, we know that the tide has irreversibly turned in favor of LGBTQ equality. Today, we draw strength from the vast majority of Americans who believe that our lives and rights are worth fighting for. Thanks to you and your tireless work, we deployed the largest get out the vote effort in our organization's history. In North Carolina, it appears we have defeated the hateful Governor Pat McCrory and helped elect Roy Cooper to repeal HB2. We were proud to support Hillary Clinton, and she made history as the most pro-equality candidate to ever run for president of the United States.
"The defeats we have suffered tonight demonstrate that our future victories will require us to dig deeper and work harder to continue bending the moral arc of the universe toward justice and equality. We must fight to protect our progress, and to limit the damage that Donald Trump has promised.
"To every LGBTQ person across this nation feeling stunned and disheartened, and questioning if they have a place in our country today, I say this: You do. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise. Be bold, be strong, and continue to stand up for the principles that have always made America great.
"At a time like this, we don't slow down. We double down. Tomorrow, HRC will set to work once again, undeterred and focused on our mission to realize a world in which every single LGBTQ person is safe and equal and valued."
National Center for Lesbian Rights Responds to U.S. Presidential Election:
(San Francisco, Nov. 9, 2016)The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) responds to the 2016 Presidential election results.
Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.:
"By a slim margin, this nation has elected a demagogue who trafficked in bigotry, stoked racist hatred and normalized misogyny. The election of Donald Trump as President threatens basic principles of human dignity and justice. Many of our most cherished valuesinclusion, honoring difference, embracing equality, dismantling oppressive systemsare in jeopardy, but we will not be deterred. This is the moment we are called to resist. We are about to be tested as never before, and speaking for myself, and NCLR, we will not stand down, sit idle or be silent in the face of oppression, bullying or threat. This election result is devastating for our nation and especially for the most vulnerable. But we will fight on and will never give up. We must be the ones we are waiting for. Together, we fight on and we fight back. We must harness our grief, fear and outrage and serve justice."
From the merican Civil Liberties Union:
NEW YORK In response to Donald Trump's election as president of the United States, Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following statement:
"For nearly 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union has been the nation's premier defender of freedom and justice for all, no matter who is president. Our role is no different today.
"President-elect Trump, as you assume the nation's highest office, we urge you to reconsider and change course on certain campaign promises you have made. These include your plan to amass a deportation force to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants; ban the entry of Muslims into our country and aggressively surveil them; punish women for accessing abortion; reauthorize waterboarding and other forms of torture; and change our nation's libel laws and restrict freedom of expression.
"These proposals are not simply un-American and wrong-headed, they are unlawful and unconstitutional. They violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. If you do not reverse course and instead endeavor to make these campaign promises a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step. Our staff of litigators and activists in every state, thousands of volunteers, and millions of card-carrying supporters are ready to fight against any encroachment on our cherished freedoms and rights.
"One thing is certain: we will be eternally vigilant every single day of your presidency and when you leave the Oval Office, we will do the same with your successor.
The ACLU released its analysis of candidate Trump's policy proposals in July, which can be found at: www.aclu.org/feature/donald-trump-one-man-constitutional-crisis .
From the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund:
Washington, DC, November 9, 2016With the majority of states now declared, Donald Trump has been projected to win the Presidency of the United States. In response, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund is releasing the following statement:
"Millions of people here and around the world will be shocked, disappointed and frankly frightened by the election of Donald Trump. His remarks over the course of the campaign including his sexist, racist, and xenophobic comments, as well as his mocking of people with disabilities and his dehumanization of Muslims leave many of us deeply disturbed. Make no mistake about it, this will also give us a roadmap for fair-minded, moral, compassionate people to come together like never before and fight. It will take longer, it will be harder, but rest assured that united and working in partnership with people of good conscience, we will get there," said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
Gay Men's Health Crisis calls for next president to lead the national fight to end AIDS:
NEW YORK, NY - GMHC released the following statement after the close of the 2016 presidential election. Back in January, the agency released the first HIV/AIDS survey to all presidential candidates running at the time and asked them to communicate their positions to the public on ending the epidemic. Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders were the only candidates to respond. Their responses can be found here.
Statement by CMHC CEO Kelsey Louie:
We have finally come to the end of a long and grueling election cycle, which has dominated everything from social media and television news to conversations around the dinner table. What did not change after the results came in is that GMHC still has clients to serve this morning and we still have an AIDS epidemic on our hands. With Election Day behind us, the work of running a country must continue, which is why today, I call upon the President-elect to start leading on the critical, national fight to end the AIDS epidemic within his first year in office.
Some communities and regions are losing ground in the fight, with tragically increasing rates of new infections in the Southern United States, among young men who have sex with men, women of Trans experience, and within low-income communities of color. In the coming days, weeks, and months, GMHC will continue to fight and care for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, just as we have since this agency was founded in Larry Kramer's living room in 1981. We will continue to organize around modernization of the Ryan White Care Act, removing the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs, ensuring funding for comprehensive sexual health education, and addressing outdated HIV-criminalization laws across the United States.
As President Obama observed in his final State of the Union address, 'we're on track to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS. That's within our grasp.' The next U.S. President has an urgent opportunity and responsibility to take historic action with a more aggressive response to the epidemic. In the coming months, we will be pushing for the action, commitment and leadership needed to combat this public health crisis.
David Ernesto Munar President and CEO Howard Brown Health:
Together, we look forward.
The day after a bruising and contentious election, we sit with feelings of uncertainty and trepidation. We fear progress expanding the healthcare safety net in our nation could be radically and irresponsibly reversed. We fear scapegoating and enactment of fiscal and social policy harmful to our constituents.
And yet our resolve could not be stronger.
As we try to make sense of the election results and their implications, we avow the fundamental values rooted in Howard Brown Health's mission. As an organization, Howard Brown upholds a steadfast commitment to healthcare equity for all people regardless of their race/ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. We celebrate diversity and rejoice in the creativity and resilience we possess as a community of racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities.
Our lives as diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning people matter. Our fight against oppression, stigma and discrimination matters. Our mission to support health and wellness among the people in our community remains at our core.
While we do not yet know the full impact of the election, what we know for sure is that Howard Brown will continue to serve Chicago in every way possible. Our mission continues despite the political climate we will find strength within each other and continue to face new challenges together, with love for our people and resolve in our convictions.
We remain committed to you.
Howard Brown will work arm in arm with our allies and supporters to speak truth to power for the realities, rights, and needs of those we serve. No matter what the next few years bring, we will uphold our patients and clients with care, kindness and love as we have since 1974.
From Pride at Work, Jerame Davis:
For many of us, last night's election results weren't what we expected or hoped for. We didn't believe that America would elect a president that supports right-to-work, anti-LGBTQ religious exemption laws, and who wants to deport millions of hardworking immigrants. But that's what happened so now we must answer this question: What's next?
When our movement gets knocked down, we get back up, dust off, and push forward. We don't sulk. We organize, organize, organize.
Join or renew your membership today to keep up the fight for LGBTQ workplace equality.
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Our country is deeply divided, but the majority of Americans rejected anti-immigrant, anti-worker, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ politics. So more than half of the voting public already in our corner. And we are winning new hearts and minds every day.
There are other bright spots in this election, too:
In North Carolina, it appears the damage of the anti-worker and anti-LGBTQ law known as HB-2 will cost Governor Pat McCrory his office. Even though Donald Trump won North Carolina, McCrory is currently coming up short in the returns. There are still provisional ballots uncounted, so this could change, but it's a clear message that anti-LGBTQ laws are bad policy and bad politics.
In Virginia, an amendment to add right-to-work to the state constitution failed handily. Virginia remains a right-to-work state by statute, however, so there's still work to do in the Old Dominion.
In Illinois, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth won her Senate seat against Mark Kirk, who was endorsed and then unendorsed by the Human Rights Campaign. Duckworth is a champion for the LGBTQ community and all working people.
In Oregon, out bisexual Kate Brown won her election becoming the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected governor in the country. Brown is a strong progressive who will fight our families and communities.
In Florida, openly gay candidate Carlos Guillermo Smith was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Smith was a featured speaker at the Pride at Work 2015 convention in Orlando. He has previously been a spokesperson for Equality Florida and will be a strong champion for working LGBTQ people.
So, let's take today to reflect and heal, but tomorrow, we'll organize.
Alliance for Justice: Fight a Conservative Takeover of the Courts
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17th, 2016: Commenting on the future of the federal courts under an incoming Trump administration, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron released the following statement:
"At this critical moment in history for our federal courts, it is essential that we fight with all the resources at our disposal against a takeover of our courts by the anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-worker, anti-minority forces of the far right. Rarely has there been a time when the fairness and impartiality of our courts have been more at stake. We and our allies at Alliance for Justice will oppose, with every ounce of our strength, an ultraconservative takeover of our nation's courts."
From CenterLink CEO Terry Stone:
The election is complete and today we know who our country's new President will be. While some celebrate and others commiserate, we as an LGBT community must remain resilient and strong. We must renew our commitment to listen to and learn from each other, to speak out against injustice, and to be a voice for those who have no voice. We must speak loudly in protest against homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism and all other forms of oppression. And as they have always done, our LGBT community centers will continue to be a place of gathering, caring and support.
CenterLink remains committed to supporting our LGBT community center leaders and the people that they serve. We are a strong community that has always risen to the challenges that face us, and we will continue to work together for positive change in the coming years.
From The National LGBTQ Task Force, Executive Director Rea Carey:
I, like many Americans, had a night of little to no sleep. I've started this day in anger, sadness and so many other feelings because this country has elected an extremist President and Vice President and I fear the damage they will do. We need some time to process the news with our loved ones. Time to grieve and heal ourselves. Time to know that we are not alone.
I don't want to accept that this is the America we live in, that its promise of freedom now feels fleeting. LGBTQ people, poor people, immigrants, people of color, Muslims, women, people with disabilities, so many of us... will need all of us to have each other's and their backs to stand together and fight for justice. I know the days ahead will be difficult.
That said, when we have given ourselves the time we need, we must move deliberately and fiercely forward to protect what we have achieved and to think even bigger and bolder about the next era of progressive change, however long it may take. We have heard their plan mass repeal for everything from food stamps for the very poor to Obamacare to marriage equality; mass deportations of immigrants; mass dehumanization of entire communities, and much more. We must do everything we can to stop the attacks we know are coming on the most vulnerable in our nation.
We will lift each other up. We will move forward together. Through our grief we will focus our resolve on a better future. I know we are all asking ourselves what we can do, what we should do. I know some of you just want to give up. Please don't. We need you.
The Task Force has been at this place before. Feeling defeated and feeling despair, but our over forty years of work and progress gives me the inspiration and strength to march forward. To get up after being knocked down and to fight for the communities and people so close to my heart.
Many of us are searching for what we can do today. To feel connected, to take action, strategize and to help. There will be many ways in the coming days, weeks and months but here are a few for today:
Be Connected to Others: Be with each other; it is all too easy to feel isolated. Reach out today to those you know are hurting with a kind word or call. There are hundreds of vigils and gatherings being planned for tonight across the country, organized by progressive groups coming together in solidarity. Learn more about events near you.
Take Action: Stand with those who are standing up for what is right, and we encourage you to sign on to this open letter to our nation from 100 women of color leaders.
Strategize: In January, over 4,000 LGBTQ people and others from many social justice movements will be coming together to attend our Creating Change Conference to strategize with each other on next steps for moving forward. We invite you to join us, share what you know and learn from others.
Help: There are thousands of social justice organizations that have been and will be working together for an inclusive future of justice, equity and freedom for all. And, we're all going to need your support. Make a gift to an organization you love that works for justice and we hope you consider giving to the National LGBTQ Task Force. We all need you to make a better future possible.
Most importantly, let's hold each other close. Through our pain let our love shine brightly on one another. Let's dust each other off and start our journey again…together.
Trans United Fund, Freedom for All Americans Urge Solidarity Post-Election Day:
WASHINGTON, D.C. Today Freedom for All Americans (FFAA), the campaign to win full LGBT nondiscrimination protections nationwide; and the Trans United Fund, a trans-led c4 and political action committee, responded to this week's presidential, federal, and state races around the country and reflected on what's to come for pro-transgender candidates and transgender equality going forward.
"This election represents a serious setback for transgender people and our allies. Trump and Pence have been explicit in their commitment to roll back progress for all trans people and to champion policies that will endanger those in our community that are already living at the margins," said Andrea Jenkins, a founder of the Trans United Fund. "On election day, it was reported that the 24th trans woman of color (Nooni Norwood) was found dead in Richmond, VA. And yet there are bright spots to found in red states like North Carolina where Democratic challenger Roy Cooper appears to be in the final stages of unseating the Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory, an anti-trans leader and HB2 champion; to blue states like Massachusetts, where every single state legislator who voted to expand non-discrimination protections to transgender people was re-elected; to the two incredible trans women who made history by running for U.S. Congress and collectively garnering over 325,000 votes in Utah and Colorado respectively; to the tens of thousands of people who voted for a vision of our country where trans people are truly valued. Now more than ever, it's crucial that trans leaders and our allies redouble our efforts to better understand and support one another, to struggle through our differences together, and to bring our collective wisdom and experience to bare in building a movement and a strategy that can make that vision a reality."
The defeat of North Carolina's governor Pat McCrory would be a notable victory as it would follow McCrory's full-throttled defense of HB 2, the anti-LGBT law that made North Carolina the first state in the country to ban transgender people from using public restrooms. Attorney general Roy Cooper ran his campaign on a platform that moves forward transgender equality, and it is increasingly likely that it pushed him over the edge of victory.
"This week's Election Day results yield an uncertain future and demonstrate why it is so important that we drive forward a strong, clear, collective narrative about who transgender people really are and why our protections are urgently needed in order to come closer to attaining the support and understanding from the rest of the country that we need to live our lives freely and fully in all 50 states," said Kasey Suffredini, chief program officer of Freedom for All Americans and director of the group's Transgender Freedom Project. "Our organizations must work alongside each other in partnerships that help build national momentum for transgender rights no matter what the political climate is in America from Massachusetts, to North Carolina, to Capitol Hill, we will make sure that the transgender community wins the protections that it needs as quickly as possible."
Massachusetts was the only state this year to pass a law ensuring explicit protections for transgender people in public places, including bathrooms and locker rooms. Last week, anti-transgender mailers were delivered in districts targeting state Representative Michael Day and others who had supported the law. But by the end of Election Day, voters had reelected every legislator who had voted in favor of the transgender law many times by overwhelming margins including legislative leadership, key sponsors of the bill, and several Republicans.
Openly transgender candidates Misty Snow and Misty Plowright ran strong congressional races, ultimately not capturing the seats, but changing history by winning their primaries and blazing a trail that makes it easier for future trans leaders to run for office. They were the first-ever openly transgender candidates to secure congressional nominations for a major party.
For the last eight years, the Obama administration has moved forward a number of executive actions to secure equality and broaden equity for transgender Americans, including:
An executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity
Equal access in housing in HUD programs for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity
Comprehensive guidance on the interpretation of Title IX, stating that public schools that receive federal funding must treat transgender students fairly
Public endorsement of the Equality Act, which would pass comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people
A Trump-Pence presidency could threaten these steps going forward. Donald Trump has said during his campaign that he would sign the federal First Amendment Defense Act, which would enable taxpayer-funded discrimination against legally married same-sex couples and their families. Former Indiana Governor Mike Pence has cost Indiana's economy millions of dollars in lost business, tourism, conventions, and thousands of jobs by forcing a law that allows businesses, individuals, and organizations to discriminate against LGBT people.
Freedom for All Americans is the bipartisan campaign to secure full nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people nationwide. Our work brings together Republicans and Democrats, businesses large and small, people of faith, and allies from all walks of life to make the case for comprehensive nondiscrimination protections that ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally.
Trans United Fund was launched to unite the voices of trans people and our allies to combat the endemic levels of violence and discrimination faced by the trans community and the well funded and coordinated attacks by the conservative movement against trans people. Our Advisory Committee is comprised of a multi-racial, multi-generational team with identities across the gender spectrum. Trans United Fund is the C4 arm of Trans United and represents the only, national express advocacy political group centering trans lives.
From the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Justin G. Nelson, co-founder and president and Chance Mitchell, co-founder and CEO:
Just two nights ago we were standing under a giant glass ceiling at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Like the many others there that night we were waiting for election results to start rolling in and excited with the prospect of electing our first woman President of the United States. Throughout the night, speeches and conversations were interrupted by the big screens and commentators breaking-in to deliver news as polls began to close. It did no go as we anticipated.
Yesterday so many of us, so many in the NGLCC family, felt a profound sense of sadness, followed by anger and fear for ourselves, our friends, colleagues and our loved ones. We have all just lived through the most contentious and negative presidential campaign in recent memory. One that had showed America at its worst.
As many of you know, NGLCC made a political endorsement for the first time in our nearly 15-year history. We believed the agenda set forth by Secretary Clinton was the best one for LGBT people, our families, our lives, and our businesses. And while a majority of Americans agreed with us in the popular vote, that did not translate to an electoral college win.
We write this note to thank so many of you that have reached out to voice your support and thank NGLCC for our ongoing work. Your comforting words have meant much to Team NGLCC. We also want to use the opportunity to reassure you that today and each new day forward we will redouble our efforts to ensure LGBT people are treated fairly and equally. Should there be common ground to positively impact opportunities for our community businesses we welcome the conversation, but we will also stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners in the equality movement to vigorously defend the precious victories fought for together and ensure they are not senselessly dismantled.
We will continue our work with our friends in other diverse communities to make sure that it is known from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other that we look out for one another. We will collectively ensure the next administration cannot ignore the impact diverse communities make on our economy and recognize that our economy only succeeds when the American Dream is available to all LGBT and allied Americans.
Friends, yes Tuesday's results hurt -personally. However, while we are all bruised, we are not broken. We stand with you in solidarity. Our mission has not diminished, rather our call to action has been amplified.
Statement from TLDEF Executive Director Jillian Weiss on the Presidential Election: Resilience:
New York, New YorkNov. 11, 2016.
This is the first Veterans' Day on which transgender service members serve openly, recognized by our government for their authentic selves and honored in the open, rather than in the shadows. We thank all transgender military personnel for their service to our country and our community. You have built along with our allies who serve at your side upon the strong foundation that countless veterans forged over decades of advocacy and vigilance, showing us as a nation that change, in even the most conservative of institutions, is possible if we keep speaking out.
This Veterans' Day is also bittersweet, falling just days after our united progressive communities were dealt a serious blow. We at TLDEF understand that many in the trans community fear a Trump Administration, believing that the many advances ushered in, by and through the Obama Administration could evaporate overnight. During this time of deep unease, let us hold one another close and acknowledge the concerns we are all experiencing, and help one another to get the support we need.
Though we go forward on what will likely be a difficult path, we need not lose hope, and we need not reconcile ourselves to second class citizenship. Transgender people have survived and thrived through the most hostile of political administrations. We are a battle-tested and resilient group. Be assured, our rights movement cannot be silenced by the stroke of a pen, even if that pen is held by President-elect Trump. Indeed, the many forms of protection put in place by the Obama Administration and the federal courts cannot all be undone overnight. State and city law protections, like court orders recognizing our names and genders and myriad nondiscrimination laws, where available, are not at risk. TLDEF and our sister organizations stand at the ready to protect each and every advancement we won over the last eight years, and we are determined to continue to push, charting new paths forward.
TLDEF will continue to stand strong on behalf of all those we serve. We will redouble our organizing efforts and reaffirm our commitment to transgender equality. We will never waver as we carry out our mission to ensure that all transgender people are treated equitably under the law, and with dignity and respect in our daily lives.
Going forward, we must be united within the trans community and we must also continue to forge alliances with other progressive communities that will also face obstacles over the next four years. TLDEF stands in solidarity with all progressive communities, recognizing that the dignity and humanity of our fellow human beings is not something which is up for debate.
As our community and other progressive communities come to terms with our new reality, be assured that there will be many resources marshaled in our communities to help you. TLDEF will continue to fight in federal and state courts across the country to ensure that the most vulnerable among the trans community are afforded expert legal representation at the highest levels. We will continue to file friend-of-the-court briefs, including a brief in the United States Supreme Court in early January 2017, advocating for Gavin Grimm's right to use the boys restroom at his high school in Virginia. TLDEF's name change project will continue to operate, pairing trans people across the nation with lawyers at leading law firms to ensure barriers to recognition of our authentic selves are minimized. TLDEF is also working to create concrete action steps to provide our community with the resources and expert guidance needed so you can advocate for yourself, your families, and your communities over the next few years. Please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for this guidance. In the meantime, for those of you desiring peace of mind about your federal identity documents such as passports and social security records, here is information from a sister organization that you can use to begin the amendment process.
We are a resilient group. We have been through a lot over a long period of time, and yet, through community, love and faith, we have created room for ourselves and our loved ones to flourish. We well know that nothing is guaranteed in life. We have always found ways, through community, to create a voice for ourselves. And through community, we will support and help each other to survive, and thrive, and have our voices heard.
From Imani Rupert-Gordon Executive Director Affinity Community Services:
Nov. 11, 2016
Dear Affinity Community,
We are at a crossroads, and are unsure of what lies ahead.
This is a devastating time. Many of us have spent the last few days reflecting on the world we live in. The world is a different place today than it was earlier this week, and that is a difficult dialectic to experience.
There are people that will remind you that this is not a new feeling. And indeed, it's not. Some have seen worse. Some have felt worse. But that is not much solace for individuals in the here and now. Systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and xenophobia isn't less painful because we've prepared for it, or because we've experienced it before.
But it is more familiar. And there is power in that. In times like these, when we are at a crossroads, we can take solace that Affinity was born because our needs, and those of our families and communities were not represented in the larger narrative. So we built our own. An intersectional one. The feelings that are resonating through our communities now are the reasons that Affinity still exists today over 20 years later. Resilience is woven into the fabric that has made us who we are. We are not saying that we see you during this devastating time. Affinity is saying that we ARE you during this devastating time. And you can call on us.
More than ever before, it is important that we work in coalition with one another, as individuals and as organizations. We need to support groups doing the work that needs to be done in this world. We need to give what we can. Our time, our money, our expertise. We need to join the boards of organizations that mean something to us. We need to be active on the boards that we are on. We need to support our friends, families, communities and networks to do the same and contribute to their communities. We need to mentor. We need to listen. This work is not cheap. It's not easy. There are no short cuts. And it cannot be done alone.
But luckily, it's not being done alone. Even this short time has been punctuated by moments of resistance that fuel our resilience. We've seen protests and healing spaces. Op-eds and letters to our communities. We've seen a renewed dedication to social justice efforts. Let's work together to create more of these moments - both large and small. They matter.
Thank you for being in community with us. We are all better, when we are all better.
In love and solidarity.