Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist.
Keep on loving, keep on fighting.
Dear OPEN Community,
Many of us are waking up to devastating news from the U.S. presidential election. While not all our community members are in the United States, this outcome has implications that extend far beyond borders, affecting movements for human rights, family equality, and sexual freedom worldwide.
For those feeling scared, angry, or hopeless - we see you, we're with you, and we're holding space for these valid emotions.
While we sit with these difficult emotions, we also remember: throughout history, marginalized communities have faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet found ways to not just survive, but build power and create change. The path forward isn't through any single election or political figure - it's through the daily work of building resilient communities, networks of mutual aid, and movement power.
Real transformation happens in our communities, through:
Supporting each other through mutual aid and community care
Building educational resources and sharing knowledge
Creating resilient support networks
Working toward internal liberation from oppressive systems
Building solidarity across movements
In the coming weeks, OPEN will be convening a community meeting to discuss how we move forward under this new reality. Our leadership team is meeting to develop concrete strategies for protecting our community and advancing our mission in an increasingly hostile political environment. We'll share more details about these gatherings soon.
For now, we encourage you to:
Check in with your loved ones
Connect with your local community
Take care of your mental and emotional health
Remember that you are not alone
The road ahead may be difficult, but we are stronger together. Throughout history, times of adversity have often strengthened communities and catalyzed powerful movements for change. We will protect each other. We will support each other. We will continue to build the world we want to see.
With determination and solidarity,
Brett Chamberlin
Executive Director
