By Rebekah D. Mason
Content Warning: we live in violent and scary times and in this writing I process 2024 U.S. presidential election results accordingly. I have used violent imagery and metaphors to describe the fear and rage I am processing by placing the devastating future we have inherited in its rightful context. The violence and white supremacy which has been around since this country was “founded” through genocide and strengthened through slavery is not pretty either. Please take care of your hearts and well being. 🩵
So the United States 2024 election results are in and we all know that Kamala Harris and the rest of us, the entire world, we lost. While the loss is personally devastating to me and to many marginalized communities, it was not altogether surprising. I am sad. And I am filled with rage. In therapy I learned that my emotions have a function! The functions of my emotions serve me and are okay for me to feel. I will not back down or run from my sadness or my rage. I will not shy away from my disgust or my fear. I will mourn the loss of what might have been possible with a Harris/Walz administration. I will grieve my future and the shared possibilities I had hoped might have been within reach.
I am furious that a wholly unqualified and unwell white man, convicted of multiple felonies, who defrauded veterans, who never successfully ran any businesses, bragged about and committed sexual assault against many women, was found to have committed sexual assault, has consistently shown hatred for Black people, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Asians, people of color, people with disabilities, LQBTQIA+ and in particular trans people, people who believe in science, people who disagree with him, the free press, and countless other communities and individuals, has won the highest political office in our country. His hate and violence toward so many has inspired and will continue to inspire more hate and violence here and across the globe. People are emboldened in their white supremacy and rage against us and others they want to blame for their own sad lives.
The 2024 presidential election result has radically reaffirmed something uncomfortable for many to accept/receive: the United States of “America” has lived up to its truly “American” roots. Our uniquely AMERICAN nation-state and our unique gun violence problem was born out of the violent actions of this country’s ‘ nation building/ founding/stealing’.
The spirits of our nation’s founders were honored by this result. And the blood they shed during and since the founding of the country courses deeply throughout this land and the fabric of our lives. Their spirits haunt our homes and families. These spirits dance jigs while they wrap their dirty hands around the necks of our children, strangling them.
The 2024 U.S. presidential election result will make for creative bumper stickers for the next PTA meeting for Parents of students at the School of Totalitarian Regimes: “Proud Parent-Founder of my Nation-Baby”. It should fit nicely on the rear of the vehicle they will use in their emboldened efforts to crush our souls and roll back any progress that we managed to sneak through behind their backs. Surely they are proud parents as they watch the apple of their eyes boldly defending their legacy.
I will remind myself, and anyone willing to receive this, even if it is hard to accept/admit, this nation was not “made for you and me”. Despite the myths our parents and grandparents studied or believed, despite what we may have previously thought, believed or been taught, we were never the intended beneficiaries of the nation’s founding, it is right there in WRITING. At some point, people started believing what folks in power told them to believe about ‘the land of the free’ and ‘justice for all’, but they were lies. These lies were lovingly passed down like a cherished family quilt.
Nope, it has never been truly great for those of us with ancestors who just so happened to be here before the United States was “founded” or for those of us who descend from people trafficked here against their will and enslaved to better line the oppressor’s pockets. Even immigrants recruited/invited here under the promise of the “American dream”, this place was never fully great for these communities either. Meanwhile, it is the blood, sweat and tears of immigrants, which when combined with yours and mine and that of our ancestors, has filled up “This American Melting Pot”.
Despite what these oppressors may say or do, we the marginalized and oppressed peoples of this land, we have formed our individual toils and collective pain and traumas into something beautiful and worthy. Against all odds, over time, we have found joy and love and hope and we became and we remain a valid part of this place we call our home.
After the 2024 presidential election results became clear, and throughout the following day, it felt eerily similar to 2016, but so much worse. But unlike in 2016, I have a solid support system now, including strengthened and new relationships, a loving partner, and many trusted therapy providers (as covered by my employer-provided health insurance—thanks Obama! 🙂 kidding/not kidding and friendships I have developed or grown through therapy.
I have been in therapy since 2020. I am prepared to process my feelings of sadness and my rage. I will not “suck it up and move on”. I will not just “lift it up to God and let it go”.
My Catholic upbringing taught me to hand things right on over to Jesus. But therapy has taught me to feel and process my feelings. I have learned much about myself in therapy. I am stronger and more resolute in who I am.
Hell, before I started therapy, I thought I was straight! But my quarantine queer story is one best saved for another day. I didn’t even know I was a person with disabilities or a person impacted by trauma before I started therapy. But those too are stories for another day.
I have ugly cried like a baby off and on. I have begun to process my feelings aloud and in writing. I have doom scrolled social media and I have happily scrolled some content too. I have shared my thoughts, fears and feelings on video calls and texts with my mom, my best friends and my partner. I have protected myself by avoiding professional opportunities ‘to discuss’ the election results. Instead, I choose to share my (valid) feelings in safe spaces. I have learned the hard way that presuming good intention in work settings can be used against me. I am taking (safer) risks by being newly vulnerable with trusted colleague-friends.
I will continue to take time to process. I will slowly begin to prepare a plan for my next move. I will eventually pick myself up from the ground. I will dust myself off and take off my earrings. I will wipe the tears and sweat from my face, probably I will need to blow my nose and wash my face. I will clean my glasses and grab a snack. I will brush and floss my teeth. I will rest. And when I am ready, I will shower and get dressed. I may decide to put my night guard back on maybe even a face mask and a hat. I’ll slip on my coziest socks and slip into my most comfortable shoes. I’ll nourish my skin with good lotion and maybe put on gloves. l will drink water and take in and release a few deep breaths. When I know the time is right, I will get back to fighting. I will make some of that good trouble John Lewis talked about. I will do this with and because of my loved ones, community partners and people I trust.
I am sending love to everyone struggling. Let’s keep processing on our own terms in safe spaces we have created within our communities. If you need help processing, please reach out to someone you trust or check out the resources I included below.
Mental Health Resources 11/7/2024
The Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention. It’s powered by volunteers trained to practice empathy and active listening to help texters identify their own strengths and coping strategies in moments of anxiety, distress, or crisis. Text HOME to 741741 (U.S.-based)
LGBTQ National Hotline is a free and confidential resource by phone from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. EST Monday through Friday, and 12:00-5:00 p.m. EST on Saturdays. This hotline provides support for queer folks who need a safe and affirming space to talk about the issues they’re currently facing. 888-843-4564
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline provides information, resource referrals, and support for people affected by mental health conditions, including anxiety caused by political or social stress. The Helpline operates Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST. Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or text “helpline” to 62640
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 confidential support for those in distress, including people experiencing anxiety, depression, or emotional strain due to political issues.
How to access: Call or text 988
7 Cups provides free, anonymous emotional support through trained volunteer listeners who are available 24/7. Go to the 7 Cups website to be connected with a trained listener.
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a collective of queer and trans therapists of color that provides a directory of therapists, peer support, and resources focused on the mental health and wellness of LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities.Go to the NQTTCN website to find a provider.
