7 Empowering Stands You Can Take Against Trump

At this moment, the prospect of four years of President Trump may be so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start. But as difficult as it is to know where to begin, there are small but empowering stands you can take against Trump. They may only make a difference to you, but they may be the actions you need to move beyond your disappointment and shock, and get on the road of advocating for yourself and the people you care about.

Looking down the barrel of a Trump presidency, bolstered by a Republican Congress and what will, in all likelihood, soon be a conservative court, it’s easy to feel frightened and helpless. I get it. I’m scared, too. But you aren’t helpless. What you do and say matters. You can make a difference. Even little things, small stands against Trump, can add up to something powerful in the end. These things may only make a tiny impact on what is going to be a long, hard journey, but the key is to scrape yourself off the floor, gather yourself up, and take the first steps forward. In the long run, the best thing you can do to stand up against Trump, his hateful rhetoric, and his vile policies, is to empower yourself to take action, fight, and keep on fighting. Here are a few ways to get that ball rolling:

1. Donate

If the things that Donald Trump pledged to do during his campaign come to pass in his presidency, organizations that protect the rights and access to care of people of color, religious minorities, women, the LGBT community, and countless others are going to need all of the support they can get. Look into donating to an organization that supports the causes you care about. Ones to consider include Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, RAINN, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Lambda Legal, and the Southern Poverty Law Center (though there are many others.) Even if you can only afford a few dollars a month, your contribution will be important.

2. Show Love And Support For The People You Care About

Take the time to reach out to people you care about — especially those who will be most deeply affected by Trump’s policies — and let them know that you love them, you support them, and you’re going to stand with them in the next four years.

3. Look Into Volunteering

Check out the volunteer opportunities in your area for organizations that work for the causes you support. For example, you might volunteer for RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline to help support survivors. If you’re concerned about women’s continued access to reproductive health care, look into volunteering for Planned Parenthood or the National Organization for Women.

4. Start An Empowering Book And Get Inspired

As you prepare for Trump to take office in January, dig into some empowering, feminist reading to remind you why it’s so important to keep moving forward and keep standing up for what you believe in. Bustle’s got a list of feminist fiction to get you started.

5. Focus On The Good News

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the implications of Hillary Clinton’s loss, but don’t forget that there were a few major gains on election night, especially with the election of four new female senators who are bumping the number of women of color in the Senate from one to four. As Zoe Ferguson wrote for Bustle,

These women represent multiple underrepresented minorities in the American government: Illinois' Tammy Duckworth is a double amputee; Nevada's Catherine Cortez Masto is the first Latina woman ever to be elected to the Senate; Kamala Harris of California is only the second black woman to win a Senate seat in American history; and Pramila Jayapal is the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.

That’s not a bad silver lining.

6. Contact Your Local Leaders And Let Them Know Where You Stand

Contact the elected officials in your area and let them know your thoughts on the president-elect’s policies. You can find information for your federal, state, and local officials by starting here.

7. Practice Self-Care

We’ve got a long, bumpy road ahead of us, and what you do in this moment will matter less than what you do in the next four years. So take care of yourself and allow yourself to find a mental and emotional place from which you’ll be able to participate, fight, and advocate for the long haul. If that means you need to turn off the internet for the next week? Do that. If it will help you to wallow for a few days in comic book movies or romance novels, then do that. If you need to get the hell out of dodge and go away for a bit, do that. And then come back, recharged, re-centered, and ready to go. Taking care of your mind, your body, and your emotional life — and, in turn, finding your strong, battle-ready self — is one of the most empowering things you can do.

Image: Giphy (2)