2020 has been unusual in nearly countless ways. We don’t have the election results today. Many of us are feeling sad, angry, discouraged, scared, and many, many other emotions. This period of waiting – hours and days to come – may bring about a lot of anxiety. Everyone copes with anxiety and other emotions in unique ways, but there are many things each of us can do to help address our emotional responses. Here is a great collection to give you some ideas of how to get through.
Once the results are all in, we can begin to assess the consequences. Trans folks may be deeply impacted by who is elected in their local, state, and federal government. These folks make (or break) the laws that directly affect trans peoples’ lives. The November 2020 election is particularly influential for the trans community, and for this reason it’s more important than ever to check in with trans people in your life. Here are some ways you can check in with the people you care about:
- Text, call, or email a trans person in your life. Schedule a time to meet over Zoom, if possible.
- You might feel like celebrating the local or state election outcomes, or may need to take time to process, listen, witness, and/or complain together about the discouraging (or undecided) news.
- Remember to practice self-care regardless of the outcomes. Nurture your physical body and encourage other trans folks in your life to do so as well.
- Ask the trans people in your life how you can support them. Some folks may need space to vent and receive empathy, some may need help connecting with resources and support, while others may need assistance meeting their physical needs. Can you send them a meal using Postmates? Can you offer to help with transportation, pet-sitting, etc. while the trans folks in your life do what they need to do to process the election results?
- If grief is part of the post-election mood mix, we may need even more ideas to help each other through. FORGE’s Survivors’ Blog includes the post Supporting People Experiencing Hard Times.
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