On election night when polls closed, the country we knew, changed forever. History was made when Donald Trump was announced our president elect. Hearts across America sank, fear heightened, and tears poured. Many will simply ask, “How?” There is no answer, and sure as hell there is no clarity. The people spoke and their voices were heard, and whether it was a rebellion against the system or a white-lash against a progressive country, we are in a deeply painful time for many Americans. This election has created divide, it has surfaced hatred, and has changed the two-party system as we knew it.

For those that are calling us “millennial cry babies” maybe you need to take a step back and reevaluate your privilege. The results of this election mean the result of the fear of the unknown for many. For women especially this is a time on uncharted waters. For years we have been working at gender equality, we have been working at a better future for our daughters, so that they may see a world with equal pay, a world with equal opportunity. Many of us saw that dream put on pause the other night. Many of us cried not in self-pity, but in heartbreak over the misogynistic rhetoric that was replayed in our minds over and over as we realized what had truly just happened. Our hearts were pained over the realization that 53% of white women had voted for him. These votes set back all that we have been fighting for, all that we continue to fight for.

I would never stereotype an entire party. By calling Donald Trump a bigot, a homophobe, a racist, and a misogynist, I am not calling each Republican those terms. Instead I am pointing out that you are willing to stand behind a man with those qualities, you are willing to allow that man to be the representative face of our nation. And while I realize that there is no other choice, that he indeed fairly won the election, you have just as much right to celebration as others do to mourning. While there are some of you that will never see the ramifications of the results, for many in America, what is to come is simply unknown. Donald Trump has clearly fought for a white America, but who is fighting for everyone else?

As American citizens we are supposed to be proud of ourselves as a nation. We are supposed to provide an example to our children of what is means to live with honor and integrity. It means we preach equality. It means we instill responsibility and values. Yet, we elect a man who believes his greatest advisor is himself. We elect a man who believes that he can discriminate based on gender, race, sexuality, or religion. We elect a man that uses the most disturbing rhetoric. We elect a man that teaches our children it is okay to bully. A man that teaches it is okay to say whatever is on your mind, regardless of the consequences. We elect a man that will not fight for the rights of our daughters, our sisters, our mothers. We elect a man that has already caused a white movement. We elect a man who has surfaced racial tensions to a new level of anger and violence. We now live in a white America.

And while I can acknowledge all my emotions of fear and heartache, I can still shed light on some hope. While some may laugh at the idea of a millennial, others will begin to understand the hardships. We are in a constant battle to fight for what we believe in. And while the results of this election are not what we were hopeful for, it does not mean hope is lost. We have one another, and that is something that will always stand true. Be hopeful that you live in a country where a majority of citizens believe that we need a change. And while we may not see it today, I am hopeful that Donald Trump will prove so many of us wrong. I will never claim that he is “not my president” because I am well aware that as a citizen, he is. So I will sit back and I will give him the chance that he deserves, regardless of my opinions because that is what has to happen now. But never will I give up my fight, and neither should any of you. After all, love trumps hate.