Like many, I was heartbroken at this year’s election results. I was so confident in the Harris campaign despite my worry that Trump might win. Over and over again my friends and I convinced each other that everything would be fine; that there was no way he would win again. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The first days of November were very difficult for me, for my friends, and for my community. But I have hope.
I saw someone on Tiktok say (I think even before the election), that if you’re trans, the world needs your stories. Even if you don’t think you’re creative, or you’re not really a writer, the world needs us. Our stories, creative or autobiographical, are so important. We have unique perspectives that deserve to be shared. Despite our pain and fear, we cannot let hate win. We must continue to fight for ourselves and for our communities. Here are some things I’m doing to be kind to myself and set myself up for a positive next few weeks to prepare to fight the good fight.
1.Taking Care of Myself
This seems like an obvious one (and it should!) but it can be very easy to lose good habits when things are hard. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with this, and last week was very hard. I had to order takeout a few times in order to eat enough, but I did my best to choose nutritious meals and be kind to myself about it. I also emailed my professors to ask for extensions on some of my more time-intensive assignments, which my mom encouraged me to do. This will give me more time to do well on those assignments, while letting myself take a needed break.
2. Reading !!
There are so many fantastic books written by people who have studied alt-right conservatism and history and that offer tangible solutions. There are also many banned books that are incredibly important. Here are a few books that I’ve recently added to my list: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg, Your Silence Will Not Protect You: Essays and Poems by Audre Lorde, Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis, and Rainbow Revolutions: Power, Pride and Protest in the Fight for Queer Rights by Jamie Lawson and Eve Lloyd Knight. Books have always been very comforting to me. They let us know that we are not alone and never have been, they give us real solutions, they guide us.
3. Strengthening Community Bonds
Our close personal communities are extremely important, especially now. Pour into your friends and family. Last Wednesday my friends and I sat outside, taking in nature and talking about how we felt. We worked through our fears and hopes, our worries and our dreams. I left feeling a lot better. Whatever happens, we will have each other. It’s important to remember this and to be there for each other. Our communities are the best protection we have.
It’s hard to be trans right now. I’m afraid that it will only get harder. But we are needed. We will be the change that we need to see in the world. Check on your trans friends, take care of yourselves, and remember that we can do everything we set our minds to.Â