The morning after the 2016 Presidential Election, I woke to my heart in shambles.

I know that love trumps hate, but what about fear?
What about this lump in my throat that refuses to leave?

Don’t tell me I’m overreacting when my rights are at stake; when my friends’ lives are at stake.
I don’t mean to cry white tears, but my God,
What is a world without color?
What is a world without the right to love?

We have come so far.
Why now must we revoke the freedoms we bled for?
Why now must our progress cease?

On this day, when the world would have me forget myself,
I must remember that I am still here.
My body is still my body.
My art is still my art.
My friends are still my friends, and with them, hate will never trump love.

We must remember that we are still here.
Still queer,
and Muslim,
and women,
and black as the night,
despite our trembling.

We must love well, now more than ever.
We must take care of each other.
We must learn to trust each other.
But we must also fight.

We must initiate change.
Lift our voices high,
and stand together.
Demanding a world that lets us be as we are.

A world where love has no gender, or race.
Where what’s in your heart matters more than what’s in your pants.
A world where we are stronger together.

Today was heavy and terrifying, but despite it all, I felt loved.
Somewhere between fear and hate, I found safety.
In my favorite teacher’s wise words,
my friend’s I love you’s,
my grandmother’s kindness.

Today, I felt cared for, which is a hard blow to darkness.
Do not let the fear of tomorrow steal the joy of today.
The future is bright.
Stay.