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7 Things I Promise to Do Now That the Unthinkable Has Happened
I didn't think I'd be in this place, but since hate, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia has won the day and Donald Trump is the President-elect, here are seven things I promise to do.
As I carefully chose my outfit today to vote for the person I believed would be most qualified to follow in Barack Obama's shoes, and not so incidentally, make history as the first woman to run this country, I had not prepared for the unthinkable -- that hate, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia would win the day.
I tried for as long as possible tonight to avoid the blow-by-blow of the election returns and to focus on the outcome. But as a clearer picture emerged that I would have to listen to and look at Donald Trump for four years, let alone endure the hateful policies he, the RNC, and his running mate Mike Pence are behind (like conversion therapy for LGBT kids, decimating a woman's right to choose, and building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico) I tried to go to my good place. I blared Kelly Clarkson and devised this list of what to do next. Here are seven things I will do. And I'm not sorry if you're a Trump supporter or a protest voter offended by my plan.
1. Cry.
This has already happened – a lot. But at some point the tears won’t come, so what next?
2. Drink.
Yes, this has already happened as well. When I pull myself together I will consider…
3. A move to Canada.
I’ve wanted to apply to grad school at Concordia since I visited Montreal in 2010. What have I waited for?
4. I will finally tell those 3rd-party “conscience” voters know just what I think of their moral superiority.
To the human tire-fire lefties who can afford to toss the rights of immigrants, women, Muslims, and LGBT people out the window for their deluded, solipsistic revolution, you are part of the problem. I voted with my conscience too – my conscience that doesn’t burn the house down just to prove I was right.
5. Clean out my Facebook page.
Those of you reticent Trump supporters or protest voters can get off of my Facebook page. I post some pretty funny stuff that you’ve laughed at over the years. And so many of you straight white dudes who silently voted for Trump while you liked my posts love to comment on my boobs and such, and I’ve put up with it because, well, I don’t have many straight men in my life, and I figured I needed to be more fully-rounded. Well, no more. Go away. You don’t get to let my big-bosomed female gay ass entertain you if you don’t believe in my rights and the rights of the people I love.
6. Organize.
I was just a kid but I came out in the time of the AIDS epidemic when nearly 21,000 people died before Ronald Reagan could bother to utter the words “HIV/AIDS.” Groups like ACT UP organized, marched, and made their voices heard. They literally saved lives. It's time that generations of LGBT people bound together as a singular body to fight for all of our rights.
7. Be there for those I love.
Community is more important than ever in times of crisis – and Donald Trump running this country is a crisis of epic proportions. I’m here for the marginalized, for women, for LGBT people, and for allies. The rest of you, see my point #5 and get out of my life.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
