The day after the election, many of us felt shock, anxiety and numbness.
As an organizational leader, my immediate focus shifted to protecting our communities and supporting my staff. I set up spaces for those directly impacted to process the reality of the moment. But beyond the duties of my role, I also found myself in difficult conversations with undocumented family members and close friends.
We talked about what the next months might bring, what protections we could try to create and how to prepare for the very real possibility of separation — perhaps even making this season our last Christmas together.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been hit with disappointment and fear, and I take strength in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” This is a time to remember that our very existence as LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants and allies is a powerful resistance against forces trying to silence us. And while we’re all enduring the same storm, we don’t all have the same tools to weather it. That’s why we must embrace mutual aid, community organizing, leadership development and advocacy to uplift one another and fortify our shared strength.
After the Pulse tragedy, our community rallied together through unimaginable pain and loss. We created safe havens, spaces to grieve, connect and ultimately heal. Once again, we need to build these spaces for one another — this time with the understanding that our work isn’t just reactive but preventative, too. We must be proactive about protecting our rights and our lives, especially as we anticipate potentially harmful actions from this administration. Immigrant, transgender and marginalized communities face a future that may threaten us with more extreme deportation tactics, rollbacks on gender-affirming care and even misuse of military force to infringe upon our civil liberties.
But we know how to stand up and hold our ground. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. Together we will protect each other through small, personal acts of resistance — offering shelter to those most at risk, providing resources and support and educating ourselves and our communities to ensure no one is alone. This is how we make our defiance visible and tangible, how we say “we are here to stay” regardless of the challenges ahead.
Let’s not forget that we’re in this together. Each one of us has the power to resist, to protect, to teach and to uplift. We all have a role to play, and now is the time to answer the call. Join an organization; join our struggle for change. Fighting for each other is not only essential to our survival, but it also reveals the unbreakable hope within us.
Recently, a young LGBTQ+ person shared their story with me, about the journey of self-discovery and resilience, aided by Hope CommUnity Center’s support. It reminded me of why we fight — to make this world one where stories like theirs are not the exception but the norm. With unity, with courage and with hope, we can build a future where each of us belongs.
So take heart and remember: we need one another. The challenges are real but so is our determination. Let’s keep fighting and let’s keep building the world we want to see. We are not giving up and we will not stop now.
Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet is the executive director of the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka.
Watermark reached out to other LGBTQ+ and ally voices across Central Florida and Tampa Bay who asserted the community is “Not Helpless. Not Alone.” Read more here.
