There is only one way out: Through
The second Trump term will not begin until January but the early signs are that it will be more brutal and chaotic than the first. This is especially true for the most vulnerable groups. The initial announcements of his cabinet and staff show that Trump is committed to delivering on the promises he made during his campaign, including mass deportations and family separations, as well as terrorizing trans children and adults. The situation is about to turn ugly very quickly. They know that now is the time to start resisting Trump’s worst policies. This should allow us to take a moment and pause. We are prepared for it. We are prepared. Authoritarianism thrives by stoking fears and fostering despair, which is exactly what abortion funding and stories resist. It will be a tough road ahead. At first, it may seem like there are more losses than victories. As we have said on Boom! As difficult as this will sometimes be, we will make it through. That’s another lesson to take from the abortion storytelling and direct aid movements: Do this work with a full, open heart, because it is the work of liberation, and liberation is joy.
We save ourselves.
The truth is, like remedying the harms unleashed following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, this is a project of generational repair. Many people in the United States voted enthusiastically for what comes next. And that includes millions of women who both voted to support abortion rights measures in their state and to elect Republican leaders who will help usher in a national abortion ban.
There has to be a reckoning.
Until then, we know what to do. We take care of our own. We care for our neighbors. We try to find happiness wherever we can. We are prepared to put in the long hours required by the fight for Justice. We remember the community workers and storytellers who told us this was the path all along.
