Many of us are searching for a way to get up after being knocked down on Nov. 8. Feeling defeated and uncertain, we look to our leaders in the community for guidance, some who have dedicated their lives to making progress. They share their thoughts about what happened and what we can do. In the coming days, weeks and months there will be many ways to take action, strategize and help. Stay tuned to BTL for more information.
"As the parent of a transgender teen and an ally to many, I worry about this new presidential term and what will play out in real time…We will not shrink away. We will continue to educate and support and communicate the importance of rights for the trans (and all LGBTQ) community. Diversity is to be celebrated not attacked or belittled. Stand with Trans is here for the community. We have parent support, we have youth support, we have ally support. There are Ally Moms across the United States who can offer support and guidance when looking for resources. Now, more than ever, we need to make our voices heard. There is strength in numbers and we need to use our voices in a positive, proactive manner." – Roz Keith, founder of Stand with Trans
"Freedom House is emboldened by the outpouring of support we've received in recent weeks. Longtime supporters and strangers alike have made contributions, donated home-baked goods, or sent messages offering words of solidarity and strength. These acts of kindness provide our residents with a sense of relief. They are like an embrace from the community. As an organization, we remain dedicated to delivering high quality, compassionate services to all those 'yearning to breathe free,' and we stand firm in our commitment to asylum seekers and refugees." – TJ Rogers, program manager at Freedom House Detroit
"Many of us are disappointed, disillusioned and downright angry about the results of the national election. We need time to process what this could mean for progressive advancements that have been made over the past decade. You don't have to know where we go from here, that is why we have God." – Rev. Roland Stringfellow of the Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit
"Now more than ever, we need to come together. We need to support each other. More than that, we need to unite and show Donald Trump and all his supporters that we won't stand for this. We won't stand for racism. We won't stand for sexism and misogyny. We won't stand for homophobia and transphobia and bathroom panic. Before Tuesday, it had been more than a year since someone had directed a homophobic or transphobic slur towards me (at least to my face). Since Tuesday, I have been called a faggot, a tranny, a piece of shit queer, and told to leave the country. All that in just two days. That's the message this country sent when they elected Trump – that bullying is ok. That mistreating people is ok. That physical violence is an appropriate response to anger. That racism and sexism and homo/transphobia are ok. So now we are left with the task of showing them that we won't stand for it. We need to come together. We need to organize and protest and use the voices they're trying to take away from us." – Ashton Niedzwiecki, FtM Detroit
"I'm both heart broken and disheartened with this result. But election results cannot take away my values, my ethnics, my sense of what is fair and just, nor my determination to keep fighting. And I remain proud to work for the ACLU of Michigan which will continue to protect and defend the rights of the LGBT community no matter who is President. We will have some difficult, daunting days ahead of us, but we the LGBT community and our allies have to remain vigilant, invested and involved." – Jay Kaplan, LGBT Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Michigan
"I am proud of the campaign we ran. We fought hard for a vision to rebuild our public education system, make higher education accessible and affordable for all, and be a welcoming and inclusive state that respects the civil rights and dignity of our LGBT children. In a year which Donald Trump and my opponents spread a message of divisiveness and fear, we came up short. I look forward to helping our state work towards a more prosperous, better educated and more welcoming and inclusive Michigan." – State Board of Education president John Austin
"The time for complacency is over. We cannot just sit back and wait for the inevitable to occur. We cannot stand in front of the firing squad and hope that those who wish to drive us back into the closet run out of bullets…We must lock arms and band together to combat the coming onslaught in order to protect our basic human rights and dignity. If we fail to do so, quite simply, we will lose everything. As a lady who won the popular vote for the office of the presidency of the United States once said, we are stronger together." – Dana Nessel, president of Fair Michigan
"Thank you for being steadfast in the fight toward a more just and accepting society. Thank you for being relentless partners with the work of LGBT Detroit. Today, the sun came up and today we will continue to walk down a brave path – we cannot do it alone though. The development of our #SafeBraveSpace can only continue with your continued support and partnership. The need for a space for our community to come together with an accepting, affirming, and transformative atmosphere is essential now more than ever." – Curtis Lipscomb, executive director of LGBT Detroit
"Our businesses will continue to thrive, our community will continue to be more visible and our commitment to equality is even stronger. We need the corporations and business community, now more than ever, to invest in minority and LGBT organizations and trust that doing the right thing is pushing forward towards true equality in every community around this country. The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce will continue to represent the LGBT businesses and people of this region with strength, integrity, and leadership, whomever is president." – Kevin Heard, president of Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce
"The entire election cycle has been an emotional experience for many in the LGBTQ community and I would like people to know that Affirmations is dedicated to supporting individuals as they process the many feelings evoked as a result. As with most elections, there is a potential for anti-LGBTQ legislation on a local, state and national level which has led to anxiety in many. Affirmations is a safe space available 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year." – Susan Erspamer, executive director at Affirmations
"Last night was a sad and sobering wake up call for those of us who value diversity and enlightenment. I don't know about you, but the election of Donald Trump as our next president has me worried about what this means for those of us who are LGBTQ and our allies in the other marginalized communities like immigrants, Muslims and people of color, to name a few. What we do know, is that division and tribalism strain the fabric of our American community. We have a lot of work to do. No matter how daunting the task is, we have to keep fighting for our dignity and equality and for the dignity of everyone." – Steph White, executive director of Equality Michigan
