For many, watching the 2016 election results was devastating; it is an unfortunate reality that not only do we have Donald Trump as our next president, but the Republican Party will now control both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

I know that there are many of us who are upset, and others who are anxious about what the future holds, for not only queer people, but for all minority groups in America. I urge you to not lose sight of the path forward. To those who are uncertain about the future of human rights in America, and to those who are afraid that the progress we have made will be reversed, it is important to remember that our rights are given to us because we are human beings. Rights are not granted by those in power; we are at the mercy of no one person, political system, or hierarchy.

These are the ideals that have gotten our movement this far and will be the ideals that keep us progressing onward. So, please do not give up. Please do not look ahead with despair. We are stronger than the forces that work to discourage us. We write history, history does not write us. You are important, and your life matters. Together, we will continue to build a future that has a place for all of us.