Responding to the Election Results

Dear Friends,

As I woke up this morning to the election results, I’m sure I felt many of the same emotions you’re experiencing: anger, sadness, shock, fear, and a flood of other thoughts and feelings racing through your heart and soul. I share this with you, and I know the next few days, weeks, months, and years will be difficult.

Take the time you need right now to grieve, to rage, to mourn—and to get through this in whatever way helps you. Practice the self-care that looks best for you in the coming days. Rewatch your favorite sitcoms, spend time crafting, or create space to be with each other. Be around people who lift you up and take solace in each other’s company. Do what makes you feel good. If you can, step away from social media and the news. It’s okay to need people right now to help you find strength. Give yourself permission to create “news-free zones” if that will help.

And then, when you're ready, use that rage and sadness to fuel your strength and prepare for the battles ahead. We are all exhausted, but we will not let this defeat our unwavering commitment to social change and advocacy. We will find strength in each other, because mutual care and support are powerful forms of resistance. We will continue to celebrate queer and trans joy. We will not let this make us hopeless; instead, we’ll channel that energy to build a vision of a world where everyone can live their lives freely and in peace.

Dutchess Pride remains as committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and all marginalized groups today as we were when we started in 2018. We are here for you, and we will continue to be.

Together in community,

Karen Marder, LCSW

Executive Director/Co-Founder