Last week, after viciously campaigning against LGBTQ+ rights, Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, shocking the world after millions expected a landslide victory for Vice President Kamala Harris. The LGBTQ+ community is terrified, and every queer person I know has been searching for ways to cope with Trump’s victory.

Some people have taken to escapism. They’ve been finding solace in video games, TV shows, movies – basically anything to take their mind off what’s to come. Many people I know have also started engaging more in fandom spaces where they can interact with other queer people. Others have set their sights on activism and are trying to find ways to get out there and make the world at least slightly better before Trump takes office. And many others – especially in the South – are focused on how they can protect themselves and their loved ones.

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All of these coping mechanisms are understandable and valid. After all, Trump has promised to ban gender-affirming care, prevent trans integration into sports teams, and completely strip us of any legal recognition. But despite all of this, we have one saving grace, one clear path toward a better future: each other.

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We need to focus on building community. It might be hard to imagine that doing so could protect us when these attacks on our fundamental rights go so deep into the legislative core of America.

But community has saved me from dark times before.

When I was homeless and living in a shady motel, other queer people took me in and gave me a home to recuperate and rebuild my life. When I was at some of my lowest points, isolated from the world with no one else to turn to, queer people helped me find the joy in the minutiae of life. When I needed a source of income, queer people took a chance on me and gave me opportunities I never could have dreamed of.

I’ve seen this so many times with other people, too. I’ve met queer people who fled states like Texas for safer places with the help of community members who were able to guide them to resources and housing. I’ve seen queer receptionists and retail workers give a helping hand to others that needed help navigating the hellish world of corporate bureaucracy. I’ve seen lawyers offer pro bono services to their queer siblings who seek justice for all the wrongs thrown at them.

Let the Stonewall Uprising, the Dewey’s Sit-Ins, and the Cooper’s Donuts Riots serve as reminders for the lengths queer people will go to protect each other from persecution. Queer people protected each other during the height of the AIDS epidemic, too. We’ve grieved for our dead across generations and gone to great lengths to prevent any additional anguish.

These efforts were not in vain, either. Black trans women led the way to some of the few rights we’re able to enjoy today. Lesbians have long fought for liberation alongside trans people and gay men. We still see similar battles today, such as with the gargantuan number of queer people arguing for marriage equality for our disabled siblings.

If there’s one thing those opposed to our liberation want, it’s for us to be isolated, divided, and attacking each other instead of focusing on our many similarities and how they can unify us against common threats.

It is important for every trans person, and for that matter every queer person, to remember that none of us is alone.

You have millions of siblings ready to stand beside you and fight for your rights alongside everyone else’s. No matter where you are, there are other queer people – all you need to do is find them.

There are so many places to search. You could start with Tumblr or BlueSky, where there are numerous queer circles. There are video games like Webfishing or even Minecraft that offer dedicated servers meant to provide connection to other queer people. You can join queer Facebook groups, find community events in your nearest city, join a Discord server or a support forum, reach out to friends you went to school with – or even join a club or social gathering if you’re still in school or are in a company that offers an employee resource group.

There are endless ways to find community. The most important thing to do is to keep trying. Reach out to more people, find new ways to connect with others and build relationships. That way, when things get bad, we can save each other.

And to every queer person out there, especially every trans person reading this: No matter what, you need to stay alive and keep going. It’s going to be really hard for a while, and it may seem like every deck of cards is stacked against us. But we can make it through this. If we lose our lives, we lose that chance entirely and will never get another one. We can’t sacrifice what makes life enjoyable and let those who hate us win.

We need you to stay alive, no matter what it takes. We need you in our community.

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