Wednesday morning, as Seattle woke up to the reality of a President Trump, we asked 11 women how they felt about the results, and how they were coping.
Here they are in their own words.
Stephanie Lozaba: “Yesterday I was very very worried. I was thinking about our future, our kid, my family. We are from Peru, but I feel very sad. Trump winning means that there’s a lot of hate, there’s a lot of people that don’t believe in the good change that has been coming to the United States. I feel like Trump is just blah, blah blah, he’s not going to do everything that he was saying. Today I was listening to a lot of good speeches, the positive side. I feel optimistic, because we can keep going. We can make good things, besides our new president… On Facebook, people in South America are making memes, laughing about what is going on here. I think my work is to talk to my people in Peru and tell them that this is true and this is serious and it’s not funny.”
Maya Samaha: “I’m horrified. I’m gay, I’m mixed. My parents weren’t born here. I have so many friends who are minorities. It’s going to affect everyone I know and everyone I love and I care about it. I don’t know what the fuck’s going to happen. I’m in a state of panic. I’m very emotional right now.” When we asked how she’s coping: “Drinking at Lost Lake, chain smoking, and doing what I know I can do right now. I don’t know what to do at this point. I wish someone could tell me what to do.”
Cara Margherio: “I’m worried I might lose my job since it’s federally funded and we do a lot of progressive research. It might affect me a lot, in a lot of negative waves. I definitely called in sick today, I’ve already been to brunch, and I’m about to go lay face down on my living room floor for the rest of the day.”
KD Schill: “Since I’m a white woman, I have a buffer. I’m very concerned for all my dear friends who aren’t the same color I am, the same sexual identity and sexual preferences. I’m really scared for them. As far as affecting me, the jury is still out. [I’m going to] be loud and obnoxious and protesting and linking arms with all my friends and making a fucking lot of noise. Do not take this laying down. This Electoral College, that should be abolished. It makes no sense to me now.”
Kristin Byrne: “I honestly don’t know. I’m a Canadian citizen, I have a green card here. I don’t really know what to say about the whole situation. I’m a little flabbergasted that we now have an openly bigoted, misogynistic person as our elected official. It’s mind blowing, it’s upsetting. I don’t know how parents are supposed to explain this to their children. I have a friend with a young son who asked what sexual assault was. I didn’t think there’s so much hate in this country, but there is….I just left school because I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t sleep last night, I drank entirely too much and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’m hoping he changes his attitude, we’ll see, we’ll hope.”
Sadie Patraw: “I’m concerned as a woman. I also feel like I have to be a bit more aware on the streets. I know the KKK doesn’t affect white people as a direct impact, but I have friends who are black, gay, and I have people in my life who are alternative in general and if they are threatened, I am threatened. I’m not going to let it stop me from my ambitions and my goals. I fear that maybe college is going to be a bit more prejudiced towards women. I’m going into math and science, and that’s already a male dominated field. With Donald Trump being who he is, it might become even more so.”
Cindy Clapper: “It’s wonderful, it’s great. I feel like God ordained government, and I feel like God ordained government to keep people safe and I feel that he will keep people safe. He’s not for killing babies, and he’s going to do a better job than she is. She’s dishonest and wants to give Planned Parenthood more money and she wants to continue abortion and it’s ridiculous.”
Maruya Welsh: “I don’t know what to expect. He is very unpredictable, we’ve learned that, in the election last night too. Honestly, I don’t know. I’m upset, of course, scared, shocked. It was very unexpected. Everyone thought she would win by a landslide…I have a lot of people that I work with that I feel support from. Talking to family, friends, I’ve never had this feeling before. Complete shock, there’s no words. It’s unbelievable.”
Sherry Wang: “I think to a large extent it’s pretty disturbing that we can elect someone who is racist, misogynist, and a perpetrator of sexual assaults, xenophobic, abelist, and I’m probably forgetting something. It’s disturbing that something like that can happen. I think what I’m feeling now is that we need to take time to grieve that the country made this decision, that we can allow that to happen even if Hillary wins the popular vote. … I’ve been thinking about signing up to volunteer and donate money to RAINN (the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence network) and figuring out what steps are locally.”
Kristen Cooper: “I feel like we’re shielded a little bit living in Seattle, but I feel worried… I had a good cry this morning…This three day weekend will be good, a lot of thinking and reflecting will be done.”
Catie Plourde: “I’m really shocked. I feel like I don’t know America. I feel disconnected because all the polls said Hillary would win by a landslide. I think it will affect our environment, social issues like immigration, women’s rights and feminism, which is frightening. It’s hard to say, it’s scary. It reminds me of Citizen Kane, strikingly similar personalities….A lot of people have been posting Maya Angelou quotes and trying to look to the future. A lot of people are talking about how important it will be to be more active. I think the biggest effects will be the next year, the next four years, the next eight years.”
