Thanks For That Post But I'm So Scared Right Now Mostly Over Nuclear Weapons. I Can't Stop Crying But

wait what about mike pence and conversion camps?

here, from politifact

Newsom, a prominent LGBTQ rights supporter, said Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence “advocated for diverting taxpayer dollars to so-called conversion therapy.”

Conversion therapy is a controversial practice that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation from gay to straight. It’s banned in five states including California, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont and New Jersey.

When asked about the claim, Newsom’s spokesman pointed to Pence’s own words. During his first successful run for Congress in 2000, Pence wrote on his campaign website, under a section called Strengthening the American Family:

“Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.”

Also on the website, Pence wrote: “Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage.” And “Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexual’s [sic] as a ‘discreet [sic] and insular minority’ entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities.”

Our research found no evidence Pence has walked back his stance on public funding for conversion therapy. His spokesman did not respond with information about Pence’s current position.

and in case you didnt know, conversion therapy is horrible for LGBT youth

hey but 

shoutout to everyone who got up this morning and went to work or class, or got their kid up, or had to do the grocery shopping while everything was falling to pieces. 

you all did great. whatever you did to get through the day, even if you broke down, you did great. everyone who couldn’t is no less for it, but to every service worker with no sick days and every employee trying to pretend like customer service or routine meant a thing–you did great. 

you are very brave, and so strong, and you deserve whatever rest you can find. 

You are going to run this country, and this world, very soon. So you will not listen to this man, or the 75-year-old, doughy-faced, gray-haired nightmare men like him, when they try to tell you where to stand or how to behave or what you can and cannot do with your own bodies, or what you should or should not think with your own minds. You will not be cowed or discouraged by his stream of retrogressive babble. You won’t have time to be cowed, because you will be too busy working and learning and communing with other girls and women like you, and when the time comes you will effortlessly flick away his miserable, petty misogynistic worldview like a fly on your picnic potato salad. He is the present, sadly, but he is not the future. You are the future. Your strength is a million times his. Your power is a billion times his. We will acknowledge this result, but we will not accept it. We will overcome it, and we will defeat it. Now find your team, and get to work.

‘Parks and Recreation’: Leslie Knope Writes Letter to America Following Donald Trump’s Victory (via Yahoo)

Today, Wednesday, November 9, 2016, is my 18th birthday. The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was check the news. It was despairing. The United States of American had the opportunity to elect as the 45th president, a woman, for the first time in our country’s history, and we failed. Instead of crying over the news of an alleged sexual assaulter, chauvinist, sexist, homophobic, and racist person winning this election, I could have been crying tears of joy, that on my 18th birthday, the first female president was elected in the United States. That would have made me so proud of the country I love.

But that was not the world I woke up to. It was hard enough knowing that I missed being able to vote by a single day, but to have our country’s values skewed in such a way that we take steps backward in progress, and after the first African American president was elected, is terrifying.

I refuse to fear Donald Trump. He seems to thrive off of lies and hatred in order to further a personal agenda for power and money, and he represents everything I hate. What is really worrisome is what he represents. The fact that so many people have been convinced of his lies, empty promises, and regressive ideas that go against the true values of freedom and democracy that America is supposed to represent shows that we still have so much work to do.

I respect and love this country enough that I decided to study law and possibly devote a career to representing and fighting for the rights of the people of the United States. I believe we can do better, but I also know that it is much easier to succumb to fear than togetherness. Turmoil in the United States and across the world has always been there, but we have to decide how we react to those situations: with impulsive hostility or with measured foresight.

America has made an irreversible mistake, and though these words are nothing new to the ears of American citizens, they are essential to keep in mind. Law and government are supposed to represent change, our values, progress, and our democratic standard. If our government does not represent us, is not treating us in the way we deserve, it is in our hands to make that change. Bad laws are brought into being, but if they do not reflect us and the health of our society, we have the right to challenge them. Laws are malleable, not stagnant, and ever changing with progress. Never forget that our government works for the people, not for themselves. They represent all of us, not just a few. Regardless of personal beliefs and party affiliation, legislators’ responsibility is to represent everyone. 

I encourage everyone, especially young people, to not be passive and apathetic about politics and government because it is in our hands to decide change. If you claim that politics is unsavory, it is your job to fix it. Get involved, spread love, and stand strong in your beliefs because they belong to you and no one has the right to take them away.

This is how it is: Trump gets sworn in January 20th. We’ve still got 2.5-ish months under the Obama Administration. Between now and then there’s the chance to make a media circus out of Donald Trump’s upcoming sexual assault trial, creating more friction between him and his party, giving us at least a little breathing room in congress. He’s appointing three new judges this term, so checks and balances (which weren’t really adjusted well for a two-party system) won’t be in good working condition for the Democrats (which counts third-party and non-voters and basically any minority because welcome to reality). 

So first thing: fight for that media circus. House reps will do ANYTHING for reelection. Friction within the party will force them to pick sides.

Second thing: VOTE IN 2018. Mid-term elections are a thing. ALL 435 SEATS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE CONTESTED. Go out and VOTE. We can win back the house. That’s one victory we sorely need. 33/100 SEATS OF SENATE WILL BE CONTESTED. We can win that back, too. 38 GOVERNORSHIPS WILL BE CONTESTED. If your county’s red, time to turn that around. VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2018.

The clock is ticking guys.

what do we do tho? like, honestly? what happens if he’s elected? what do we honest to god do?

lizdexia:

When Obama won, the right threatened violence and uprisings. They spewed vitriol and simmered in their own hatred and this is what we got.

Today, I’ve had so many conversations with people who are considering and embarking on new paths of public service. People who are talking about law school, public policy, teaching, international engagement, volunteering, even just giving radical amounts of kindness to the people around us who need it. I’m not seeing violent rhetoric or talk of violent uprisings. I’m just seeing a lot of good people saying “It’s going to be hard work, and we’ll do that hard work because we need each other.”

We can take our country back. When they go low, we go high.

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