A Simple Request: Reach Out to Those You Love Today

In the wake of a crushing defeat and a stunning Donald Trump victory, now is the time to be an ally.

The sun is up and the dust has settled – well, mostly. We’re all surrounded by a cloud of hurt and anger and sadness and grief. Some of us are ready to fight. Some of us need time to mourn.  

We need time to come to terms with the reality that our neighbors, our family, and our friends voted for a white supremacist who brags about engaging in sexual assault and demonizes entire swaths of people without remorse.

We need time to come to terms with the idea that this is who we are. This is who we’ve always been. We just didn’t want to admit it.

In the coming days we’ll learn more about what this means for healthcare, national security, the Supreme Court, and so much more. 

And in return, we’ll have to organize like we’ve never organized before. We don’t have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines. Our very lives are at stake.  

I’m sure I’ll have much more to say soon, but for now, a I have a request of you all: reach out to folks, please. 

Call your Muslim friends. Call your LGBTQ friends. Your disabled friends. Your black and brown and Latinx and hispanic friends. Your women friends. Your Jewish friends. Your non-white, non-majority population friends.  

They’re going be the ones hit hardest. They’ve been the target of Trump’s ire for months now. He’s made his intentions clear. He’s coming for them.

There will be time to fight and buck up and convince each other to get up off the mat. But not everyone’s there yet.  In the meantime, offer hugs, a shoulder to cry on, or just be someone to simply sit in silence with. 

Understand that your fear and anger isn’t going to be the same as theirs.

Don’t offer platitudes. Not yet. Just be a good friend and a good ally. Just reach out to someone. 

Too many of us woke up feeling scared and alone. We won’t be able to mollify every emotion, but we can make sure the people we love know they aren’t alone. 

So, please, take some time out of your day to pick up the phone. Knock on someone’s door. Let them know that you love and support them, that you’re going to be there for them, and that you’re going to stay by their side.

 

 

Robbie Medwed is an LGBTQ activist, educator, and writer. He’s grateful for all of the friends and family he’s heard from so far today, and will be spending his day reaching out to others. Follow him on Twitter: @rjmedwed

Image by Bentom Wyemji via Flickr and a CC license