I know there are a lot of people really scared, but one group deserves special mention.

[Johnny2X2X]

Yes, women and immigrants need to fear. It’s awful.

But I have LGTBQ friends who are afraid to leave their house this morning. Please reach out to your family and friends and give them some support as this is beyond terrifying for many of them right now.

I have a trans friend who is afraid to leave her house as she’s already accosted several times a week. She thinks they now have permission to take it further. I have a gay niece who is afraid for her job as a school teacher as Republicans have already told her she shouldn’t be around children.

We are all hurting and scared, I wanted to take a minute to remind people to reach out to others to show support and love to and get some in return.

[jmbar2]

1. Thanks for the reminder

I am a substitute teacher in a fairly liberal small rural school with LGBTQ teachers. The teacher absence listings are great than I've ever seen before.

[Johnny2X2X]

2. My SIL teaches 4th grade

She said most her Hispanic students didn’t show up to school today. People are terrified.

[jmbar2]

3. We have a big population of Hispanics here as well

The schools with the highest populations seem to have the most absences this morning. This is terrifying.

[lark]

4. Thank you for this important reminder.

LGTBQ and pregnant women with a history of difficult births have to be terrified right now - their lives are on the line in most states in this country now!

[BlueKota]

5. I did reach out to my gay brother from another

mother and told him I love him and we all need to lean on each other.

[DemonGoddess]

6. My youngest daughter

is gay. I fear for her safety even more than I have been lately.

[Attilatheblond]

7. My fear for our own people is great, but my fear for the people of Ukraine is driving me to utter dispare.

There will be no constraining Putin from now on. All of Europe is in danger.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. Same. It really is a gut punch to NATO and all of us, but especially 🇺🇦

[wryter2000]

28. OMG

They've fought so bravely for so long.

[people]

9. People scared

I am a reading tutor at a school that is almost all hispanic. I go there later today. I wonder if there will be a lot of absences there. It is HORRIBLE.

[calimary]

22. Hey, friend, I hope you'll let us know how it is, later today.

I know it’s cold comfort but you are DEFINITELY not alone today. At least half the country can and will sympathize (AND empathize) with you on a day like this.

Please let us know what’s happening where you are and what’s happening to you. Don’t think you’re going through this alone. Don’t think you have to go through this alone! If you can, please check in, later, and let us know how you are and how it is, where you are.

Cuz otherwise, we’re gonna worry.

[Dave Id]

10. My son

My son is gay. I think I've been more concerned about his safety in public than he has. Hope this will be a serious wake up call for him.

[bobandrileysmom]

11. My great niece.

Just had to talk her off a ledge (metaphorically speaking).

[markodochartaigh]

12. I'm gay.

I also have Asperger's. I have always tried to hide both, but I've never had professional help with "masking" and I'm not very successful.

I look at that very red map and I'm reminded of 1980. But it is not nearly as bad as 1980. Also we have a lot more public allies than in 1980.

On the other hand. The Republicans have openly spoken about enforcing the Comstock Act, which is still on the books. I absolutely believe that many Republicans would include even stories of the daily life of lgbtq+ people without any pictures as pornography. Of course probably all lgbtq+ people will have something on our phones or computers which fit this broad interpretation of pornography. And in large part thanks to the Sillycon Valley techbros a surveillance state that the Nazis couldn't have dreamed of is easily possible.

Santayana said that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. I feel that the reich-wing leadership (not the strawman Strong Leader) in the US absolutely
remembers the past, has studied it and wants it back, while the great mass of us hoi-polloi doesn't even care what we had for breakfast. It seems to me that most of our left-wing leadership is either clueless or in abject denial not only of the potential horror, but even of the current lived experiences of many groups in our society today.

Two positives to end on. My Grandmother told me that her Grandmother (who had lived through An Gorta Mór) told her that when you think about the way people act you will always be disappointed, but when you think about Nature you will always find wonder.

Positive 2: I hope we get the House of Representatives.

[MustLoveBeagles]

14. Thank you for the reminder

[Bumbles]

15. As I was checking out at our local grocery store on Election Day.

a woman ahead of me asked me to go before her since I had only one item. She commented on my Harris/Walz sweatshirt, and we began to talk. She said she was really scared of what would happen if Kamala lost. I agreed as we discussed concerns. Then she said with fear in her eyes, "It's especially frightening if you're LGBTQ, like me. I don't know what I'll do if Trump wins. I won't be able to leave my house."

[dflprincess]

16. My niece and her wife fear for their marriage

I fear for them as well as for my grandnieces & nephews whose mothers are Hispanic. I fear for their moms too. One was born here but the other only has permanent residency.

[democratsruletheday]

17. I've reached out to most everyone I know today, especially

my sister in Boston who is gay and my best friend who's daughter is gay. They are pretty shook up to say the least. Just gonna have to see what comes of all this. He's so full of shit I have no doubt that tariffs aren't coming (affect too many of his rich asshole buddies) nor do I think mass deportations are coming because who will clean the hotels and pick the fields, etc...most of that was just red meat BS his cultists lapped up being the low IQ tools they are. So time will tell folks, it's gonna get bumpy to use an aviation term: lots of turbulence the next 4 years. Hang in there and let's try to look out for one another.

[kentuck]

18. I don't think their fears are unfounded.

That is a likely place for retribution to begin.

[sarisataka]

19. My children are terrified

for themselves and their friends. It has been hard to keep their spirits up throughout the campaign; they were realistic about what was happening. Now it will be five times more difficult.

[live love laugh]

20. I have a gay niece who's a Trump supporter because he's a "businessman".

I can’t ,,,,,

[barbtries]

21. I already did.

My friend is black and gay. He is researching emigration, probably to Germany. I am supportive of that plan. But of course I needed to remind him that only do I love him and he will never lose my support, but that I feel it in a way perhaps once not so close, being a woman. We can commiserate and comfort each other.

I texted him early and he called me a couple hours later and then we talked for over an hour. he had to get off to get his HPV vaccine before Project 2025 makes it impossible or prohibitively expensive for him. Apparently there's a lawsuit headed to the SC to outlaw making employee insurance providers no longer on the hook for this life saving vaccination. Argument being, i suppose, that people with religious conviction against homosexuality should not have to pay for medical care for their gay employees.

two thoughts about that:

Why can they never be HONEST and say we think all gay men should be dead and don't wanna pay to keep them alive?

If they win, will I then win in a lawsuit when they begin throwing my tax money at religious schools? I'm an atheist and want public education untainted by religion

[yankee87]

23. LGBTQ Parent

I have no fucking idea what to do. It’s going to be bad.
I’m giving them everything I can, but feel so useless. Right now I hate this country

[Xipe Totec]

24. My Trans Daughter Moved to Europe This Year

She's out of harm's way now. I feel bad for the ones still here dealing with this shitshow.

[58Sunliner]

25. Yes. As scary as it may be for me, all the younger women and immigrants are in my heart.

The bomb threats directed at predominantly AA's is sickening and worrisome as well.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

26. I came out as trans in August

I've been happy for the first time in a long, long time. I'm terrified what might be coming, that these people care more about a fucking squirrel than me, but I"m also resolute that I"m not going to let them intimidate me, and to paraphrase Harris, "I'm not going back." I don't know how this is going to impact my medical transition (which was going to be starting in January), and while my job is very trans-friendly, I'm not so sure I'll be coming out there yet.

[wryter2000]

27. I have dear gay friends at church

We'll all be looking out for them and offering them support. We did after Prop 8 won in CA.

[OldBaldy1701E]

29. I am a former entertainer and I am gay.

Even normal people tend to roll their eyes at me, as if I am some kind of lazy mooch who has never had a 'real' job in my life, so I am used to this. However, I may be decrepit and I may be old, but the first asshat that tries to get into my shit will find out that I am also a born and bred swamp boy who does not feel afraid of bigots or children. Which is what is running the country now. Sure, they may win that fight, but I will go down knowing that I did not cower or back down in front of those sub humans who are trying to act like they are people. They will not get that satisfaction.

[Pototan]

30. Women and immigrants?

Women and Latino voters voted 45% each for Trump. that's not to mention our short sighted Arab and Muslim friends in Dearborn.

I get the LGBTQ community. They're one of the only demographics (Jewish Americans are the other) who equaled or outperformed 2020, so I agree with you on that point.

They are the only 2 demographics I reserve my sympathy for.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

31. Being trans/ non binary/asexual

And not being able to hide it because I am surgically altered.
I feel the target on my back so heavily. I’m going to die from this evil administration. They’ll cut off my access to my diabetes meds or I will be shot in the street. I have been hiding my house too.

[Johnny2X2X]

32. Something I have been telling people

This country is no more hateful today than it was last week. Nothing has changed, the hateful people just made themselves known with their votes, but it's not like more people have voted for Trump now than in 2020. You have allies here on DU and I hope you have a support system around you.