It’s no secret that the results of the Election were met with reactions of surprise, shock, disgust, and even horror. I felt all these emotions and nothing simultaneously. I didn’t know how to cope. Despite my best efforts to submerge myself into a self-imposed state of obliviousness, my curiosity got the best of me. I turned to the internet, and the headlines I was met with are heartbreaking.

Did you know that LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their straight peers? I did not until very recently. These statistics have only increased in light of the recent election with an influx of crisis calls, nearly a 700% increase, reported days after the election results had been announced. Suffice to say, this election has had a profound impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

While I am certainly glad that queer people around the country are utilizing crisis hotlines and resources meant to help, it is incredibly demoralizing to realize many are fearing for their lives. Fear. The same fear that caused me to retreat and pretend everything was okay. For me and many others, perseverance has become a mere tactic to avoid sobering realizations, and now I realize my silence is impacting those around me who I care deeply for.

To those who are afraid of displaying affection towards their partners in public, I am sorry. To transgender individuals who have seen their identity and struggles be ridiculed and desecrated in the name of “protecting children,” I am sorry. To anyone who experienced more than a mild distaste and instead saw their livelihood flashing before their eyes, I am sorry. You deserve better.

I am a staunch believer in the ideal that the world I am living in is not the world I would want my children to inherit. As an eternal optimist, I have hope that efforts can and will be made, but I no longer confuse hope with apathy.

Please educate yourself and don’t hide from the truth. Do your part. After all, lives are on the line.