I have typed out this post three or four times. Sometimes getting only a sentence down before crying and deleting it, sometimes a whole paragraph. Once I wrote the entire post and then with tears filling my eyes I held my finger on the backspace button and watched it disappear, line by line.

That’s what this election’s result feels like – like America has put its finger on the backspace button and we’re watching what we’ve worked hard for be deleted. That any strides we’ve made toward equality in gender or sexuality or race or healthcare are being erased.

I voted for Hillary Clinton. I believed in Hillary Clinton. I donated to her campaign (multiple times) and I think the country has made a horrible choice for its next president.

But here we are.

I stayed up late on election night, hoping the results would change. I cried when I finally accepted that Hillary Clinton would not be our next president. And I spent the next day crying too. I grieved. I mourned. And then I got angry. And then I decided to do something about it. Not just write a blog post or rant on Facebook but actually so something. So I’m going to start volunteering at an organization that is near and dear to me. An organization that is the target of many hateful campaigns and is now at risk of being shut down under the new administration. Of course I’m talking about Planned Parenthood. I already donate to them annually but right now that doesn’t feel like it’s enough. It doesn’t feel like action. So in addition to putting my money where my mouth is I’m going to put my body where my mouth is. I’m going to donate time and energy to support an organization I feel is very important to the health of millions of women. I think Hillary would approve.

IMG_3988

 

And tying into this theme of the election, here’s my newest poems, published by Thank You For Swallowing for the Fuck 2016 edition of their journal.

While it’s easy to bitch and complain and live in fear we can’t do that. My hope is that this election spurs people to action. That it makes people stand up and fight for what they believe in. But not just during the Presidential election season. RIGHT NOW. We must now all rise up and fight for a country we can be proud of. Here’s my theme song – won’t you join me as we rise up?