Kingdom of Knuffel

Massachusetts has got you, all my LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters and others! Today I talked to a trans classmate who is too scared to go home to her red state and isn't sure what she's gonna do. I'm talking to people all over the country who are scared out of their fucking minds. If you need to find a safe place to move too, Massachusetts is home to the oldest and strongest LGBTQIA+ communities in the country. We have some of the strongest anti-discrimination laws on the books (including anti-discrimination for trans folk--yes, even access to public spaces including bathrooms is protected). And we have a huge community of LGBTQIA+ activists all over the state who will provide support and protection. We got your backs.

I cried for hours over the election results. I haven't cried that much since my parents died.

I am so disappointed in and ashamed of America right now. It makes me ashamed of being white. I live in a mixed race neighborhood and I don't know how I can ever look my neighbors in the eye again.

I feel you. But right now, showing love is the best thing any of us can do. Make sure to take care of yourself! And please talk to your neighbors who are in any way considered "Other" in this country. They're going to need you.

To be honest, I'm having trouble mustering the energy to feel anything about this situation. I live in small-town Florida and my father seems to think that Trump as president will be a good thing and it's just...ugh.

My father said that it should tell very loudly how "the people" feel about the way this country has been run but with a race this close can you really say "the people" wanted Trump as president? When half the people said "we want someone else" with their votes?

He's also mentioned before how surprised he is when I express knowledge of how the government operates and I'm honestly offended. I make a point to avoid political discussion because I find it boring and, more importantly, impossible to have civilly. I guess he took my avoidance to mean that I know nothing.

A lot of the discussions I tried to have, especially about this election, was:
a. talking with someone who agrees with you and everything is fine, or
b. talking to someone who disagrees, someone takes the disagreement personally, and it devolves into insults at either the conversation partner or someone the other supports.

Feels like all the most recent talks lately have been "Trump/Clinton/Someone is The Worst" and it's exhausting.

I can't stand Trump. Never liked him before he became the nominee, and the longer the election campaigns ran the less I liked him. But after this disaster of a campaign year, the fact that he's been elected now...I feel numb.



...that got pretty ranty. Sorry.

I think we all need to rant right now.

If you're feeling numb, it's okay to feel numb. Just take good care of yourself and stay safe. And remember to be kind to the people in your community, especially anyone who belongs to a marginalized group. They're very frightened right now.

Just for the record there's a link in my siggy it'll take you to a petition to get Hillary in office. You need to read it.

Well two days ago I found out something horrible. My own mother voted for him. She said she voted for the lesser of the two evils. My fiances mother told us that if she did vote it would be for Clinton because she's not evil. I know my mom isn't stupid so I have no idea how she could do something like that as a woman. I refuse to ask her, I'd rather not hear it from her how she could turn on her own gender and turn to the man who will hurt people she knows who live on SSI. I was so pissed when I heard that so I've been playing video games to ignore life to calm myself.... >.> I don't even understand anything anymore.

Sunlight wrote:My brother thinks he's the lesser of two evils, too. Apparently witnesses against Hillary disappeared somehow? I don't know how accurate that is. And he also thinks Trump would be powerless without the senate's (? I don't know US government system to well) backing and they don't like him, whereas they'd be more likely to back Hillary giving her more power and chances to mess up.

The thing about "witnesses" is wrong. It's a conspiracy theory that has no basis in fact, and it's 30 years old to boot. Unfortunately, the point is moot now. The election is over.

When it comes to checks and balances, both the Senate and Congress are now controlled by Republicans. I am not willing to make any predictions about what will and will not happen, but in my mind it is certain that the Republicans in the Senate and Congress will do nothing to stop Trump. The worst of his policies will decimate communities that tend to vote for Democrats (African Americans, Muslims, Hispanic and Latinx people, immigrants, LGBTQA+, Jewish, etc.) and the Republicans have already proven that they willing and able and happy to oppress those communities (read up on how North Carolina shut down polling places in black communities and then told the court they only did it because black people vote for Democrats).

As for the Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the ultimate check and balance, it is down to 8 members. Unless by some miracle Obama can get his Supreme Court nominee confirmed, which is so unlikely the very notion is laughable at this point, Trump will get to pick the deciding vote on the Supreme Court. Given what we know about Trump's hiring preferences, this person will be completely loyal to him and will not give a damn what the Constitution actually says.

The one bright light I can offer is that right now all over the country, and even all over the world, people are getting ready. We're getting organized. We will be here to protect each other. We are strong and we are united against hate.

The arc of history is long, my friends, but it bends towards justice.