Well, congratulations! If for nothing else, congratulations on surviving one of the most tumultuous, confusing, disappointing and momentous years … ever. We witnessed one of the most intense election cycles in U.S. history. Hillary Clinton was the first female candidate for president go up against Donald J. Trump. On the one hand, Clinton supported Obama’s transgender student bathroom allowance, praised the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges and committed herself to protecting LGB and transgender rights. Had she won, this article and our psyches wouldn’t be so glum. But alas, in the end she was short of the electoral victory. While we are glad to leave 2016 behind, let us not forget the progress that we made as a community and realize how important it is to remain diligent in 2017. This year will be when everyone, if they didn’t already know, learns that the LGBT community is strong, resilient and united—not only those inside the community, but our allies as well.
Our resiliency and unity, locally and nationally, was demonstrated in the response to the Pulse Orlando shooting, the worst mass shooting in U.S. modern-day history. Cities all over the country held benefits for the victims, the GoFundMe that was started by Equality Florida broke GoFundMe’s record for most money raised by any campaign ever in the history of the company, and right here in Philadelphia we raised more than $100,000 in one evening! On top of all that, the LGBT community now cares more about gun regulation and reform.
